Pfizer’s Besponsa to be reassessed by NICE as possible leukaemia therapy

Pfizer has welcomed the news that the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) will be reassessing the benefits of Besponsa as a treatment for leukaemia.

The manufacturer has lodged a successful appeal against the regulator's decision to reject Besponsa as a treatment for adults with relapsed or refractory CD22-positive B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in August last year.

NICE rejected the treatment due to concerns about its cost-effectiveness, but the success of this appeal means NICE's appraisal committee will take a second look at the evidence, before deciding whether the drug can be funded for use on the NHS.

In the INO-VATE clinical trial, Besponsa was shown to have more than doubled complete remission rates compared to the current standard of care among 326 adult patients with this form of leukaemia.

Craig Eagle, head of oncology at Pfizer UK, said: "NICE's decision to uphold the appeal and reassess the evidence for inotuzumab ozogamicin is good news for some of the most vulnerable leukaemia patients in the UK."

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