NICE's final yea and nay to to Lucentis and Avastin
This article was originally published in Scrip
Executive Summary
Roche's VEGF receptor agonist Avastin (bevacizumab) for advanced ovarian cancer is still too expensive for routine use on the National Health Service in England and Wales, says NICE, the health technology appraisal institute. But with the help of a patient access scheme, Novartis helped persuade the institute that its VEGF drug, Lucentis (ranibizumab), is a good use of NHS funds.