Articles tagged with: NICE
News »
U.K. Agency Gives Vidaza Final Approval For MDS Patients – The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued final guidance that Vidaza (azacitidine) treatment can be used for English and Welsh patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) who are not candidates for stem cell transplantation. NICE is a government agency that determines which medical treatments the National Health Service will fund. The agency, which originally did not recommend Vidaza usage, had issued draft guidance in mid-February indicating a change in decision after Celgene, the manufacturer of Vidaza, agreed to reduce the price of the treatment by 25 percent. For more information, please see the related press release.
KaloBios Initiates Phase 1 Trial Of Blood Cancer Drug – South San Francisco-based KaloBios Pharmaceuticals has begun recruiting patients, including those with MDS, for a multi-center Phase 1 clinical trial of its developmental drug KB004. KB004 targets a protein called EphA3 that is involved in blood cancers such as acute lymphocytic leukemia, acute myelogenous leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, and MDS. The primary goal of the trial is to determine the maximum tolerated dose of KB004. The Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa and the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston are currently enrolling patients for this study. For more information, please see the KaloBios Pharmaceuticals press release and the clinical trial description.
Free One-Day Conference For MDS Patients In Jacksonville – The MDS Foundation is sponsoring a forum for MDS patients and their families on March 28 at the Jacksonville Marriott. A support group discussion will be held in the morning. Dr. Alvaro Moreno-Aspitia of the Mayo Clinic will give a presentation on new therapies and treatment options in the afternoon. There is no cost for the event, but registration is required. For more information or to register, please see the MDS Foundation website.
For a more detailed listing of MDS-related events, please check the MDS Beacon Events Calendar.
News »
U.K. Agency Recommends Vidaza Use In Myelodysplastic Syndromes – The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), the agency that decides which treatments will be funded for English and Welsh patients, released a final draft guidance yesterday recommending that Vidaza (azacitidine) can be used in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients who are not eligible for stem cell transplantation. NICE initially did not recommend the use of Vidaza due to the drug’s cost. However, NICE changed its guidance after Celgene, the manufacturer of Vidaza, agreed to cut the drug’s price by 25 percent. The final guidance deciding on the use of Vidaza in the U.K. is expected later this year. For more information on the ruling, please see the related Telegraph news article.
One-Day Conference For MDS Patients And Their Families – On Monday, February 28, the Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) Foundation will host a free one-day conference for MDS patients and their families at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Beverly Hills in Los Angeles. The conference starts with a patient support group discussion in the morning. In the afternoon, Dr. Phillip Koeffler from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center will speak about new therapies and treatment options for MDS. Registration is required. For more information and to register, please see the MDS Foundation website.
For a more detailed listing of MDS-related events, please check the MDS Beacon Events Calendar.
News »
U.K. Agency To Re-Assess Vidaza Use In Myelodysplastic Syndromes – The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), the agency that decides which treatments will be funded for English and Welsh patients, will re-assess the use of Vidaza (azacitidine) in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients after Celgene, the manufacturer of Vidaza, and other organizations successfully appealed NICE’s recommendation that Vidaza not be used to treat MDS. The European Medicines Agency approved Vidaza for treatment of MDS in March 2009. For more information on the ruling, please see the related press release.
Webinar: What’s On The Horizon For MDS Treatment? – The Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation will be holding a free webinar entitled “What’s on the Horizon for MDS Treatment?” at 3 p.m. EST today. Dr. David Steensma of Harvard University will be presenting new and emerging therapies for MDS and their implications on patient survival. For more information and to register, please see the Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation website.
4th Annual Jack Ingold Memorial Golf Outing – The 4th Annual Jack Ingold Memorial Golf Outing will take place on August 16 at 10 a.m. at The Club at Nevillewood in Presto, PA, to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This event includes lunch, golfing, dinner, cocktails, live music, and more. For more information, please see the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society website.
For a more detailed listing of MDS related events, please check the MDS Beacon events calendar.
News »
U.K. Agency Does Not Recommend Vidaza For MDS Patients – The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE), the agency that decides which treatments will be funded for patients in England and Wales, released a final draft guidance on March 3 recommending that Vidaza (azacitidine) not be used to treat MDS. Although Vidaza may extend survival by nine months compared to standard therapy for MDS, NICE concluded that due to the drug’s high cost it cannot be recommended as a cost-effective treatment. The final guidance deciding the use of Vidaza in the U.K. will be released in May. Celgene, the company that produces Vidaza, has stated it will appeal the NICE decision. The European Medicines Agency approved Vidaza for treatment of MDS in March 2009. For more information, see the NICE Web site and related Beacon news.
How to Understand Your Lab Results And What They Mean – The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is sponsoring an event to help blood cancer patients understand their blood test results. Dr. Thomas Butler will be leading the discussion on March 17 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, VA. This event is free, and light refreshments will be served. To attend, please register through the LLS by March 15.
MDS Webinar: Treating Lower-Risk MDS – The Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation (AA&MDSIF) is sponsoring a webinar, including lecture and case studies, to present current treatment options for lower-risk MDS patients. Dr. Mikkael Sekeres of the Cleveland Clinic will explain the differences between higher-risk and lower-risk MDS, review the factors that influence specific treatment decisions, and discuss treatments that are under development. The webinar will be held on Thursday, March 18 beginning at 3 p.m. EST. For more information or to register, please see the AA&MDSIF Web site.
For a more detailed listing of MDS-related events, please check the MDS Beacon Events Calendar.
Headline, News »
Survey results show that 18 percent of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) sufferers in the United Kingdom could have lived longer if they had access to treatments not yet approved for funding in the U.K.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) is a government agency in the U.K. which reviews the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of medical treatments. Based on the review of clinical and cost information, NICE makes a recommendation about whether the treatment should be funded by the National Health Service (NHS), which provides almost all health care in…