SMC rejects pemetrexed (Alimta) for NSCLC (resubmission)

[News Feeder14]

After review of a resubmission, the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) still does not recommend the use of pemetrexed (Alimta®) within NHS Scotland as monotherapy for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after prior chemotherapy.

The drug advice notes that pemetrexed appears to have comparable efficacy and a more favourable toxicity profile compared to another agent used in the second line treatment of NSCLC. However, the manufacturer did not present a sufficiently robust economic case to gain acceptance by SMC.
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