Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Opdivo recommended by NICE for head and neck cancer

Bristol-Myers Squibb's cancer drug Opdivo has been recommended by the National Institute For Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) for inclusion in the Cancer Drugs Fund.

The immunotherapy drug will be made available for patients with head and neck cancer who have not responded to chemotherapy within six months, and whose cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

When NICE first reviewed the drug, it was determined that the evidence for its effectiveness in treating head and neck cancer was not strong enough. Subsequently, Bristol-Myers Squibb was invited to submit a Cancer Drugs Fund proposal.

Professor Carole Longson, director of the Centre for Health Technology Evaluation at NICE, said: "I am pleased the company has worked with us and NHS England to develop a managed access agreement and that we have found a way to provide for patients despite these uncertainties."

As such, patients will now have access to the drug via the NHS while further data is collected on how well it performs. A clinical trial will also be conducted to help address any further uncertainties in the evidence base.

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