NICE update: New option for acute myeloid leukaemia

In an unusually quiet November for publications, NICE has recommended two new technologies for use within the NHS, writes Gary Shield.

TA545 Gemtuzumab ozogamicin for untreated acute myeloid leukaemia recommends gemtuzumab ozogamicin, with daunorubicin and cytarabine, as an option for untreated de novo CD33-positive acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), except acute promyelocytic leukaemia, in people 15 years and over.

AML is a rapidly progressing form of leukaemia. There is a poor prognosis for patients whose disease doesn’t respond to treatment or whose disease responds then relapses. Cytogenetic testing is used to look for specific gene mutations in certain types of leukaemia, which might predict how the disease will respond to treatment.

Gemtuzumab ozogamicin will be used in addition to current treatments and so will be an additional cost. Around 950 people with AML are eligible for treatment with gemtuzumab ozogamicin and it is estimated that 850 people a year will have the new technology from 2020/21 onwards.

The second technology appraisal – TA547 Tofacitinib for moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis – recommends tofacitinib, within its marketing authorisation, as an option for treating moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis in adults. It would be applicable when conventional therapy or a biological agent cannot be tolerated or the disease has responded inadequately or lost response to treatment.

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic condition in which inflammation develops in the large intestine. Tofacitinib is the first oral biologic drug to be recommended by NICE for this. It improves patient experience as the oral tablets can be self-administered and no injections are needed. Over 2,000 people per year are expected to have the new technology when uptake peaks.

Both technologies are being made available with confidential discounts.

Gary Shield is NICE resource impact assessment manager