Novartis receives NICE backing for new combination melanoma therapy

Novartis has received a provisional recommendation from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for a new combination therapy for melanoma.

Final draft guidance from NICE has recommended Mekinist in combination with Tafinlar, two Novartis drugs, to treat patients with BRAF V600 mutation-positive melanoma.

Evidence from two clinical trials has shown that patients treated with this combination survived an average of six months longer than those on other drugs. Currently, the average life expectancy for those with advanced melanoma is under two years.

The NHS will pay a reduced price for the drugs after a discount was agreed between the company and the Department of Health.

Professor Carole Longson, Health Technology Evaluation Centre director at NICE, said: "This combination treatment is the latest in a line of promising new drugs for advanced melanoma we have recommended that look set to significantly extend the life of people with the condition."

Melanoma accounted for around 1,750 deaths in 2012 in England, with 12,200 people diagnosed in 2013. This form of cancer cannot usually be treated surgically due to the fact it has spread.