Johnson and Johnson receives NICE approval for Velcade

Johnson and Johnson's Velcade first-line treatment for blood cancer multiple myeloma has been approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), just four months after the body said it was unconvinced about the drug. 

In November, the agency expressed concerns the benefits outweigh the financial cost of the intravenous treatment and called on the company to provide additional data. 

According to NICE's latest draft guidance, Velcade is now recommended for use in conjunction with other drugs for patients who are eligible for high-dose chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Sir Andrew Dillon, NICE chief executive, said: "Clinical specialists told the committee that induction treatment with bortezomib would enable a greater number of patients to proceed to a bone transplant and consequently prevent the disease from progressing for longer."

He added the drug is likely to be an important option for UK patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma each year, of which there are around 4,000.