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Bavencio is approved by the Scottish Medicines Consortium

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Published:10th Aug 2021

Merck KGaA and Pfizer’s Bavencio (avelumab) is approved by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) for use via NHS Scotland as a first-line maintenance treatment for patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC aka bladder cancer) that has not progressed following platinum-based chemotherapy.

This is positive news after the maintenance treatment was not recommended by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for use on the NHS in England and Wales or via the Cancer Drugs Fund. The Merck-Pfizer Alliance has submitted an appeal on this decision to help ensure all eligible UK adult patients have equitable access to this new treatment option.

Avelumab is the first immunotherapy to be approved as a maintenance treatment for eligible bladder cancer patients by SMC. The approval is based on results from the Phase III JAVELIN Bladder 100 study, which demonstrated:• a significant 7.1-month improvement in median overall survival (OS) with avelumab as first-line maintenance plus best supportive care (BSC) compared with BSC alone. •a 31% reduction in the risk of death. • Avelumab is the first maintenance treatment to demonstrate in a clinical trial a statistically significant improvement in overall survival as a first-line treatment for these patients.

Condition: Bladder Cancer

Type: drug

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