Thursday, June 10, 2010

Glaxo cancer drug rebuffed again by UK cost agency | Reuters

Glaxo cancer drug rebuffed again by UK NICE | Reuters

Glaxo had offered a "patient access programme", giving NHS patients free access to Tyverb for the first three months of treatment, but this failed to sway NICE.

Although Britain is only a minor market for Glaxo, the rebuff from the cost-effectiveness agency in its home market is a blow, since Glaxo aims to make Tyverb -- also known as Tykerb or lapatinib -- a key part of its expanding business in cancer.

Decisions from NICE, which has a track record of rejecting a number of other pricey new medicines, are closely followed by governments and healthcare insurers worldwide.

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