Janssen’s Zytiga recommended for Welsh prostate cancer patients

Janssen's drug Zytiga has received a recommendation from the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group (AWMSG) for use among prostate cancer patients.

A positive final appraisal recommendation has been ratified by the regulatory body that will allow the treatment to be prescribed for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, due to the survival benefits it can provide.

The abiraterone therapy was originally discovered in the UK and represents an innovative new option for a patient population that currently has few available treatments for this stage of disease progression.

More than 10,000 men die of prostate cancer annually, making it the second most common cause of cancer mortality among British males.

Martin Price, external affairs director for Janssen UK, said: "We warmly welcome this AWMSG decision, which is good news for men with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer and their families."

Earlier this month, the manufacturer announced the launch of MyIncivo, a new lifestyle and therapy support programme for hepatitis C patients.