Astellas’ Xtandi receives new NICE prostate cancer recommendation

Astellas has received a recommendation from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for its prostate cancer drug Xtandi.

The enzalutamide-based therapy has been endorsed by the UK regulator for use among NHS patients whose prostate cancer has already spread to other parts of the body and who have been treated with the cytotoxic drug docetaxel.

Xtandi has already been accepted for use within NHS Scotland by the Scottish Medicines Consortium. It has received this new recommendation in NICE's latest guidance after Astellas was able to demonstrate its efficacy and cost-effectiveness as a therapy for this disease.

Professor Carole Longson, centre for health technology evaluation director at NICE, said: "Enzalutamide works in a different way to the other options currently available for treating prostate cancer. As there are few treatments available for patients at this stage of prostate cancer, this is really good news for patients."

The company is currently seeking a new EU approval for Xtandi for the treatment of adult men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic after failure of androgen deprivation therapy, and who cannot receive chemotherapy.