NICE now recommends Zydelig (idelalisib) to treat CLL- Gilead Sciences

The National Institute Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued final draft guidance which recommends that idelalisib (marketed as Zydelig by Gilead Sciences) should be made available on the NHS for some adults with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). NICE has recommended idelalisib, when given with rituximab (Rituxan), for adults with CLL who have a specific genetic change (that is, treatment-naive adults with CLL who have 17p deletion or TP53 mutation) or for all adults with CLL if their cancer has come back less than 24 months after previous treatment. The decision follows a preliminary decision earlier this year where NICE asked Gilead to provide further information on the cost effectiveness of the drug. Gilead Sciences responded by submitting new economic analyses. A simple discount agreement to the list price of idelalisib was included in the initial submission.