BTOG wishes to inform members of a new NICE release that has been published today.
NICE has recommended cemiplimab with platinum-based chemotherapy – it can be used as an option for untreated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in adults: if they would otherwise be offered pembrolizumab with platinum-based chemotherapy, and when the cancer: − is locally advanced and not suitable for definitive chemoradiation, or is metastatic − has PD-L1 in 1% or more of the tumour cells − has no EGFR, ALK or ROS-1 aberrations. Cemiplimab with platinum-based chemotherapy can only be used if the company provides cemiplimab according to the commercial arrangement. This recommendation is not intended to affect treatment with cemiplimab with platinum-based chemotherapy that was started in the NHS before this guidance was published. People having treatment outside this recommendation may continue without change to the funding arrangements in place for them before this guidance was published, until they and their NHS healthcare professional consider it appropriate to stop.
What this means in practice is that cemiplimab with platinum-based chemotherapy must be funded in the NHS in England for the condition and population in the recommendations if it is considered the most suitable treatment option. Cemiplimab with platinum-based chemotherapy must be funded in England within 90 days of final publication of this guidance. There is enough evidence to show that cemiplimab with platinum-based chemotherapy provides benefits and value for money, so it can be used routinely across the NHS in this population.
For full details and the documents, please see the NICE website: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ta12074/documents
