NHSE Interim treatment options
Message from Steve Williamson, NHS England Lead Cancer Pharmacist
29th April 2020 – NHSE Interim treatment options
Dear Colleague
You may have seen that NICE has published an updated table to the SACT clinical guideline NG161 listing many new Interim treatment options earlier this week. See https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng161/resources/interim-treatment-change-options-during-the-covid19-pandemic-endorsed-by-nhs-england-pdf-8715724381. There are a couple of points of clarification for providers to note:
- Enzalutamide for prostate cancer states it is subject to confirmation, we can confirm enzalutamide is approved, and there is no need to check for confirmation. A Blueteq form for abiraterone for patients unable to tolerate enzalutamide will be made available in due course.
- Gilteritinib is approved for relapsed /refractory AML and not newly diagnosed AML.
- Nivolumab is approved in MSI-H colorectal cancer, the wording states ‘subject to confirmation’ we can confirm this is approved and there is no need to check for confirmation.
- A blueteq form for polatuzumab will be released in due course as NHSE is currently working with the company to ensure there is stock available for the selected patient group.
We advise all these indications are to be billed through the usual specialised commissioning route, as there is additional COVID19 funding available for them. Any drugs where we have changed the CDF pathway are not funded through CDF as there is separate COVID19 funding for them. We are pleased to note that the manufacturers of many of these drugs have worked with NHS England and offered additional discounts to support the NHS during COVID19.
