NICE, Britain’s healthcare cost-effectiveness watchdog has declared that Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Opdivo was not to be used on the state health service for treating head and neck cancer due to its high price.

However NICE could be still change its mind, and it would be not the first time, being this just draft decision. 

The company along with healthcare professionals and the public can still make comments  on the draft guidance until early May, that will be taken into account before publishing a second round of guidance.

Paul Workman, Chief Executive of the Institute of Cancer Research, said the decision would deny patients “a genuine breakthrough treatment” and he urged NICE and Bristol to work together to reach an agreement on price. 

Source: Reuters, The Daily Mirror