Novartis’ Tafinlar and Mekinst approved by NICE

Price and access negotiations between Novartis, NHS England and NICE have meant that NICE can recommend twice daily oral therapy Tafinlar (dabrafenib) and once daily oral therapy Mekinst (trametinib) combination for patients with BRAF V600 mutation-positive melanoma with stage III disease and in the adjuvant setting, to remove any residual cancer left behind after surgery to remove the tumour and associated lymph glands. In clinical trials, patients taking dabrafenib plus trametinib had 88% relapse-free survival at 1 year, 67% at 2 years, and 58% at 3 years, versus 56%, 44% and 39% respectively for patients taking the placebo. Current treatment is regular check-ups and surveillance imaging.
Deputy director for the NICE Centre for Health Technology Evaluation, Mirella Marlow, said: “There are currently no adjuvant treatments available for people with stage III BRAF V600 mutation-positive melanoma, a disease which can cause severe and debilitating symptoms. We are therefore delighted that we were able to work with the company and NHS England to recommend dabrafenib plus trametinib as a new treatment option, marking an important development in the management of melanoma.”