Sanofi Genzyme, the specialty care global business unit of Sanofi, announced that Jevtana® (cabazitaxel) has been recommended for use in combination with prednisone or prednisolone as a treatment option for metastatic hormone-relapsed prostate cancer (mHRPC) in England following a review by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).1
This is positive news for patients with advanced prostate cancer as Jevtana® fulfils an important unmet need and has been proven to extend survival for these patients.2
NICE guidance (TA391) published acknowledges that Jevtana® (cabazitaxel) is both a clinically-effective and cost-effective treatment’ that prolongs life and is valued by patients.1
“I am delighted with this announcement from NICE, which represents an important milestone for men with advanced prostate cancer”, said Nick James, Professor of Clinical Oncology at the Cancer Centre at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. “It means that patients will now have access to another effective treatment, which may offer extended survival to patients who have failed on other treatments.”
Prostate cancer is currently the most common cancer in men and kills about 10,500 men in the UK every year.3 In time, most prostate cancers become resistant to hormone therapy and continue to grow despite treatment.4 Jevtana® (cabazitaxel) is the only remaining NICE approved chemotherapy option for advanced prostate cancer which is not responsive to hormone therapies following initial chemotherapy (docetaxel).2
NHS Wales and Health and Social Care (HSC) Northern Ireland are expected to adopt NICE guidance. Jevtana® (cabazitaxel) is being appraised by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) through their Health Technology Appraisal (HTA) process. Guidance in Scotland is expected to be published by the SMC in June 2016.
“We believe that every man with advanced prostate cancer should have access to the treatments that works best for them and their needs,” commented Hugh Gunn, spokesperson for patients’ charity TACKLE Prostate Cancer. “This recommendation provides an important treatment for patients who are in the latter stages of the disease and who have few therapeutic options.”
References
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Technology Appraisal Guidance (TAG) Cabazitaxel for hormone-relapsed metastatic prostate cancer treated with docetaxel. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta391/resources/cabazitaxel-for-hormonerelapsed-metastatic-prostate-cancer-treated-with-docetaxel-82602905134021 [Accessed May 2016].
- De Bono JS et al. Prednisone plus cabazitaxel or mitoxantrone for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer progressing after docetaxel treatment: a randomized open-label trial. Lancet 2010;376:1147–54.
- Tackle Prostate Cancer. The Prostate and Prostate Cancer – Some facts http://www.tackleprostate.org/some_facts.php [Accessed May 2016]
- National Cancer Institute. 2014. Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer. http://www.cancer.gov/types/prostate/prostate-hormone-therapy-fact-sheet [Accessed May 2016].
