NICE recommends use of Tafinlar + Mekinist in BRAF V600 mutation-positive melanoma.- Novartis.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has announced that it is supporting NHS funding for the oral targeted adjuvant therapy Tafinlar and Mekinist (trametinib + dabrafenib mesylate), from Novartis, for patients with stage III BRAF V600 mutation-positive melanoma. NICE final draft guidelines recommend the use of the combination in patients with stage III BRAF V600 mutation-positive melanoma who have disease that has spread to lymph vessels, or lymph glands close to the melanoma and who have already had surgery to remove the tumour and associated lymph glands.

The aim for this adjuvant therapy is to eliminate residual cancer cells left after treatment to prevent disease recurrence.

Clinical trial results show that patients taking the combination have improved rates of relapse-free survival (88% at 1 year, 67% at 2 years, and 58% at 3 years) versus patients taking placebo (56% at 1 year, 44% at 2 years, and 39% at 3 years).

Comment: The EU approved this combination for the adjuvant treatment of stage III patients with BRAF V600 mutation-positive melanoma after complete surgical resection in August 2018. This approval is the third for Tafinlar in combination with Mekinist in Europe.