NICE recommends Giotrif for EGFR positive NSCLC - Boehringer

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the UK has recommended the use of Giotrif (afatinib) from Boehringer for use in the treatment of a type of lung cancer. In draft guidance NICE, which assesses the cost-effectiveness of treatments for NHS use in England and Wales, said Giotrif should be available for use in people with advanced or metastatic Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) whose tumours test positive for the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) genetic mutation and who have not previously received an EGFR inhibitor.

It is estimated that around 10-15 per cent of NSCLC patients are EGFR-positive in the US and EU, although the proportion increases to around 40 per cent in Asia. NSCLC itself counts for around 85 per cent of all lung cancers.