Boehringer Ingelheim receives NICE recommendation for Giotrif

Boehringer Ingelheim has been granted a recommendation from the UK drug watchdog, which is likely to see its Giotrif lung cancer treatment made available on the NHS. 

According to a draft guidance issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) today (March 18th), the drug should be used as an option when dealing with locally-advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer in patients who have tested positive for EGFR-TK mutation but have not received an inhibitor.

Sir Andrew Dillon, chief executive of the NICE, said: "We’ve already recommended two drugs, gefitinib and erlotinib, as options for the first-line treatment for patients with this form of lung cancer and we’re pleased that this draft guidance recommends a further option."

The NICE Appraisal Committee noted Giotrif, also known under its chemical name afatinib, is likely to prove cost-effective for the NHS as a second-line treatment for the minority of patients who have received chemotherapy in the first instance.