NICE backs radionuclide therapy for some neuroendocrine tumours

Overturning an earlier rejection, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has now published draft guidelines recommending the therapy for treating NETs of gastrointestinal and pancreatic origin.

Additional evidence submitted by the company for pancreatic and gastrointestinal NETs and a reduction in price helped bring the treatment’s cost-effectiveness estimates into the range considered acceptable for NHS use.

Lutathera (lutetium Lu 177 dotatate) is a first-in-class, intravenously administered Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy (PRRT), which attaches to the surface of the tumour and emits radiation to destroy it.

Phase III data showed a 79 percent reduction in the risk of disease progression or death within the Lutathera plus best standard of care arm versus 60mg of octreotide LAR alone.

The Scottish Medicines Consortium also recently backed the drug’s use, having concluded that is offers "a considerable delay in progression of the disease, improved quality of life and an extended period of overall survival".

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