NICE backs Columvi combo as second-line option for transplant-ineligible DLBCL

Swiss pharma major Roche (ROG: SIX) has welcomed positive final draft guidance from the UK's health technology assessor, NICE, supporting the use of Columvi (glofitamab) with gemcitabine and oxaliplatin as a second-line treatment for adults with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant after one prior therapy.

 The decision means eligible patients in England and Wales should gain access within standard commissioning timelines.

Prof Chris Fox of Nottingham University Hospitals said outcomes for transplant-ineligible patients have traditionally been poor, noting that both the NICE decision and recent British Society for Hematology guidance position Columvi-GemOx as an important option for those whose disease returns after first treatment.