Bristol-Myers Squibb receives NICE recommendation for Yervoy

Bristol-Myers Squibb has received a recommendation from the UK's National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) for the cancer drug Yervoy.

The regulatory body has endorsed the therapy for patients with previously-treated metastatic melanoma, meaning eligible sufferers in England and Wales will be able to regularly access the product via the NHS.

Data from a number of clinical trials has demonstrated that Yervoy is able to deliver durable long-term survival benefits for patients that would otherwise have a brief life expectancy.

Following the NICE outcome, reimbursement for Yervoy is now being granted for the majority of eligible patients in the EU, with Spanish health authorities having also endorsed the drug.

Beatrice Cazala, executive vice-president for commercial operations at Bristol-Myers Squibb, said: "Today's decision supports the UK government's statement that access to innovative medicines is a key driver for better patient outcomes."

Later this week, the company will be presenting new clinical data on several of its liver disease therapies at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases annual meeting in Boston.