NICE Confirms Approval of Abiraterone for use on the NHS

NICE the natinonal institute for clinical excellence which is the UK's government drug rationing body has issued its final draft guidance recommending Abiraterone (Zytiga) for use on the natinonal health service NHS of England and Wales to treat advanced prostate cancer.

o        Abiraterone for castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer previously treated with a docetaxel-containing regimen

NICE Technology appraisals, TA259 - Issued: June 26 2012

NICE recommends abiraterone as a possible treatment for some adults with metastatic prostate cancer who have already had treatment to reduce testosterone and have had docetaxel chemotherapy (see below).

Who can have abiraterone?

You should be able to have abiraterone if you’ve had docetaxel chemotherapy but your disease has stopped responding to treatment.

Why has NICE said this?

NICE looks at how well treatments work, and also at how well they work in relation to how much they cost the NHS. NICE applies special considerations to treatments that can extend the lives of people who are nearing the end of their life. NICE recommended abiraterone because it works better than other treatments available on the NHS. Although it also costs more than other treatments, this was justified by the benefits it provided when the special considerations were applied.