GSK wins NICE backing for melanoma drug

GlaxoSmithKline has won the backing of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for the use of Taflinar (generic name dabrafenib) in the treatment of melanoma.

In draft guidelines published yesterday (September 18th), the UK regulator said that for patients whose cancer has spread or cannot be treated with surgery, the drug is equally as efficacious as Roche's Zelboraf (vemurafenib).

Under the new recommendations, the therapy will be accessible to individuals who test positive for the BRAF V600 mutation, which is associated with 50 percent of the disease's aggressive forms.

Paul Workman, interim chief executive of The Institute of Cancer Research, welcomed NICE's decision: "Having two treatments available with different side-effect profiles could increase the number of patients who gain access to targeted treatment for melanoma," he remarked.

The regulator chose specifically to send the recommendations to final draft in line with its marketing authorisation, forgoing a review of a consultation document.