NICE on gemcitabine for pancreatic cancer

The UK National Institute for Clinical Excellence has now issuedguidance on National Health Service use in England and Wales of Eli Lilly's Gemzar (gemcitabine) for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

The guidance says Gemzar may be offered as first-line chemotherapy to patients with advanced pancreatic cancer if they have a Karnofsky performance score of 50 or more, while those who are suitable for curative surgery or who have a Karnofsky performance score of under 50 should not be offered it. Also, there is insufficient evidence to support Gemzar's use as a second-line treatment for patients with pancreatic cancer.

Andrew Dillon, the NICE's chief executive and executive lead for Gemzar's appraisal, said the drug is a clinically and cost-effective way to offer additional months of life to patients with pancreatic cancer, which affects over 5,000 people a year in England and Wales. Treatment with Gemzar costs L1,360-$3,550 per patient, and the Institute estimates that if it were made available for routine NHS use, the total additional cost to the Service would be $816,000-L3 million per annum.