NICE recommends Lilly’s Olaratumab (Lartruvo) to treat sarcoma

Eli Lilly and Company announces that Olaratumab (Lartruvo) in combination with doxorubicin, has been recommended by NICE for use as an option for advanced soft tissue sarcoma in adults who have not had any previous systemic chemotherapy for advanced soft tissue sarcoma and cannot have curative treatment with surgery or their disease does not respond to radiotherapy.

NICE published its Final Appraisal Determination (FAD) on the use of olaratumab on Friday 9 June, one month earlier than expected, and olaratumab is one of the first medicines to be made available within the new Cancer Drugs Fund. Lilly worked with NICE and NHS England to enable faster patient access to this innovative medicine via a managed access agreement.

After decades of marginal improvement in five-year relative survival, olaratumab plus doxorubicin addresses a long-standing unmet need; increasing overall survival with a generally manageable tolerability profile. It potentially represents a step change in the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma.

"Doxorubicin has been the standard first-line treatment for advanced/metastatic soft tissue sarcoma for more than thirty years. Olaratumab is a promising new treatment option for patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma and I’m delighted to hear it will be available to NHS patients." said Dr Robin Jones, Consultant Medical Oncologist and Head of the Sarcoma Unit at The Royal Marsden and Team Leader at The Institute of Cancer Research.

"We welcome this landmark decision by NICE to approve olaratumab for soft tissue sarcoma patients in England. Patients are at the heart of Sarcoma UK and this new innovative treatment gives hope to thousands of people with sarcoma and their families. This decision represents another step forwards in our efforts to transform the landscape for everyone affected by sarcoma." said Lindsey Bennister, Chief Executive, Sarcoma UK.