In final guidance, UK NICE now recommends Jevtana (cabazitaxel) for some prostate cancer patients- Sanofi

The UK's NICE has issued final guidance recommending Jevtana (cabazitaxel), from Sanofi for some prostate cancer patients. This is a change from the appraisal committee’s draft guidance. The committee previously did not recommend cabazitaxel because of concerns about its cost-effectiveness compared with standard treatments (such as abiraterone, enzalutamide or radium-223 dichloride). After the medicine was turned down, Sanofi increased the discount and confirmed that it can supply cabazitaxel in intravenous bags instead of vials, reducing waste. Therefore, they have concluded that cabazitaxel is a cost-effective treatment option.

Specifically, NICE guidance says cabazitaxel in combination with prednisone or prednisolone is recommended as an option for treating metastatic hormone relapsed prostate cancer in people whose disease has progressed during or after docetaxel chemotherapy, only if: - the person has an eastern cooperative oncology group (ECOG) performance of 0 or 1 (when using ECOG performance status, healthcare professionals should take into account any physical, sensory or learning disabilities, or communication difficulties that could affect ECOG performance status and make any adjustments they consider appropriate) - the person has had 225 mg/m2 or more of docetaxel - treatment with cabazitaxel is stopped when the disease progresses or after a maximum of 10 cycles (whichever happens first) - NHS trusts purchase cabazitaxel in pre prepared intravenous infusion bags, not in vials, and - the company provides cabazitaxel with the discount agreed in the patient access scheme.