NICE rejects Faslodex for metastatic oestrogen-receptor positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women who have not had endocrine therapy. AstraZeneca.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued final guidelines rejecting AstraZeneca�s Faslodex for treating locally advanced or metastatic oestrogen-receptor positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women who have not had endocrine therapy.

Data from the Phase III FALCON trial had showed, median progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly longer with Faslodex than with anastrozole, at 16.6 months versus 13.8 months. But NICE noted that final data on the drug�s effect on overall survival are not yet available, with results from the FALCON trial not expected until the end of 2019. NICE found that it was unclear whether Faslodex will extend overall survival compared with current standard treatment with aromatase inhibitors. Therefore the cost effectiveness of the drug compared with existing treatments �is highly uncertain�.