Astellas’ Xtandi receives NICE recommendation

Astellas' prostate cancer therapy Xtandi (enzalutamide) has been recommended for NHS use in new draft guidance from the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

The regulator has provided an initial recommendation that the oral oncology therapy should be made available under the NHS in England and Wales to treat men with hormone-relapsed metastatic prostate cancer.

Only patients who have seen their conditions progress following prior treatment with a docetaxel-containing chemotherapy will be eligible to receive Xtandi, while Astellas will also need to provide a patient access scheme if NICE is to be persuaded to issue a final recommendation.

Healthcare sector stakeholders will now be invited to share their opinions on this draft guidance through a consultation process.

Professor Carole Longson, director of the Centre for Health Technology Evaluation at NICE, said: "There are few treatments available for patients at this stage in their cancer, so we are very pleased that we are able to produce draft guidance recommending enzalutamide."

The drug received European regulatory approval in June 2013 and made its debut in the UK the following month.