NICE does not recommend Janssen’s multiple myeloma drug

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published new draft guidance not recommending daratumumab monotherapy (Darzalex, Janssen) to treat some people with multiple myeloma.

Whilst the committee recognised the need for effective, well-tolerated treatment for people with multiple myeloma who have had previous therapies, the quality of the evidence presented meant that the committee could not fully interpret the how clinically effective daratumumab is.

This high degree of uncertainty for daratumumab’s clinical effectiveness meant that the drug’s cost effectiveness results were unreliable. As a most plausible ICER (incremental cost effectiveness ratio) could not be identified, the committee could not recommend daratumumab as a cost effective use of NHS resources.

Daratumumab monotherapy is licensed to treat adults with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma, who have been treated before with proteasome inhibitor and an immunomodulatory agent and whose disease as progressed on their last therapy.

The company estimates that 705 patients a year would be eligible for treatment with daratumumab monotherapy if it were recommended.

The preliminary recommendations for daratumumab are out for public consultation where consultees, including the manufacturer, healthcare professionals and members of the public are now able to comment until Friday 7 April.