Lung Cancer - NICE Recommends Oral Tarceva(R) (erlotinib) As An Alternative To Intravenous Chemotherapy, UK

Main Category: Lung Cancer
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology;  Respiratory / Asthma
Article Date: 26 Nov 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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Today the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends Tarceva (erlotinib) as a clinically and cost-effective alternative to IV chemotherapy (i.e. docetaxel) for the 2nd line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.2 This is the first new drug recommended in non-small cell lung cancer for seven years and will give patients access to an oral treatment for this devastating disease without many of the side effects associated with IV chemotherapy. Lung cancer is Britain's biggest cancer killer3 with over 38,000 patients diagnosed each year. 4 More people in the UK die of lung cancer than breast cancer, prostate cancer, bladder cancer and leukaemia combined. 5

"Lung cancer is a difficult to treat disease and patients need access to the latest treatments to help extend their lives and improve their debilitating symptoms" said Professor Nick Thatcher, Professor of Medical Oncology, Christie Hospital, Manchester and one of the world's leading lung cancer specialists. "This final guidance is welcome news as erlotinib is a modern targeted oral treatment option which helps extend the length and quality of life for lung cancer patients, and should be made available to eligible patients as soon as possible."

The NHS is expected to make erlotinib available to eligible patients within a maximum of three months. As a result of NICE's recommendation, over 2,500 patients a year1 with advanced non-small cell lung cancer will now have NHS access to the only oral EGFR-targeted agent with a proven and significant survival benefit (over best supportive care), without the toxic side-effects associated with chemotherapy, such as nausea, vomiting and febrile neutropenia, a potentially fatal condition marked by fever and a decrease in a type of white blood cell which increases the risk of infection.

In the pivotal BR.21 study, erlotinib improved patient survival by 42% and significantly improved disease symptoms and quality of life, compared with placebo. 6 This means that with erlotinib, one in three patients were alive after one year versus one in five on best supportive care alone. 6 Erlotinib patients take one tablet a day at home, freeing up hospital resources and removing the risk of hospital-acquired infections, to which debilitated patients are particularly prone and which are costly to treat. The most common side effects of erlotinib are rash and diarrhoea. 6

John Melville, Roche's UK General Manager said, "Extending the time patients live without their disease symptoms progressing and managing side-effects are key treatment goals. It was crucial that non-small cell lung cancer patients in England, Wales and Northern Ireland gained access to a treatment that provides both, as is the case in many other European countries, including Scotland."

One of the key benefits erlotinib provides to patients is to have care closer to home, which is in line with the recommendations of the Cancer Reform Strategy. A theme of many of its service models is to provide care outside of hospital settings where possible, with efficient access to hospital services when necessary, as most cancer patients want to receive as much of their care as possible close to home. 7

About Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is Britain's biggest cancer killer3 with over 38,000 patients diagnosed each year. 4 In the UK, someone dies from lung cancer every 15 minutes3 and less than one in ten (7%) lung cancer patients survive for at least five years after diagnosis. 4 This disease kills more people in the UK than breast cancer, prostate cancer, bladder cancer and leukaemia combined. 5 November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month.

About Tarceva

Erlotinib is a once-daily oral targeted treatment for lung cancer that was licensed for use in the UK in September 2005. It has been shown to reduce the debilitating side-effects of lung cancer and increase the number of patients alive at one year by 42% when compared to best supportive care alone. 6 It targets the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor which is associated with cancer cell growth. In the pivotal BR.21 trial, around 15% of patients lived beyond two years - an unprecedented result for this disease area. 6 The most common side effects are rash and diarrhoea, although patients reported less pain and coughing compared to best supportive care alone. 6

Erlotinib received Scottish Medicines Consortium approval in June 2006. 9 For further information about erlotinib please refer to the Summary of Product Characteristics which is available on our website http://www.rocheuk.com.

About Roche in the UK

Roche aims to improve people's health and quality of life with innovative products and services for the early detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease. Part of one of the world's leading healthcare groups, Roche in the UK employs nearly 2,000 people in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Globally Roche is the leader in diagnostics, and a major supplier of medicines for the treatment of cancer, transplantation, virology, bone and rheumatology, obesity and renal anaemia. Find out more at http://www.rocheuk.com. ® Tarceva is a registered trademark.

References

1. Roche data on file

2. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Lung cancer (non-small-cell) - erlotinib Final Guidance. Available from: http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/index.jsp?action=byID&o=11714

3. Cancer Research UK © 2007. UK Lung Cancer mortality statistics [Updated July 2008, accessed 2008 November 19]. Available from http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/lung/mortality/?a=5441

4. Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation © 2008. Understanding Lung Cancer [Updated 2008, accessed 2008 November 19]. Available from http://www.roycastle.org/patient/facts.htm

5. United Kingdom Lung Cancer Coalition © 2006. The Facts [Updated 2006, accessed 2008 November 19] - available from http://www.uklcc.org.uk/facts.asp

6. Shepherd FA, Pereira JR, Ciuleanu T et al. Erlotinib in previously treated non-small cell lung cancer. N Engl J Med 2005; 353(2):123-32

7. Department of Health. Cancer Reform Strategy © Crown Copyright 2008. Available from: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/dh_081006

8. Cancer Research UK © 2007. CancerStats Key Facts on Lung Cancer and Smoking [Updated September 2008, accessed 2008 November 19]. Available from http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/lung/

9. Scottish Medicines Consortium. Erlotinib (Tarceva®) (Resubmission) - Roche 12 June 2006. Available from: http://www.scottishmedicines.org.uk/smc/4587.html

Roche