The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued Technology Appraisal Guidance (TAG) for Lynparza (olaparib), recommending it as a cost-effective option for women with platinum-sensitive relapsed (PSR) BRCA-mutated (BRCAm) high-grade serous ovarian cancer who have had three or more courses of platinum-based chemotherapy
AstraZeneca stated that clinical commissioning groups, NHS England and local authorities are required to comply with this recommendation and ensure that olaparib treatment is funded and accessible within 90 days.
Ovarian cancer is a serious and life-threatening condition that causes more than 4,000 women in the UK to die each year. The UK’s survival rate for ovarian cancer lags behind other major European countries with England having the lowest five year survival rate in Europe. Up to 21% of women with the most aggressive form of ovarian cancer have the genetic BRCA mutation and it is this patient group for whom olaparib is licensed in Europe. The only other treatment options are chemotherapy or surgery.
NICE has recommended use of olaparib in patients who have completed three or more courses of platinum based chemotherapy and who meet the European license criteria. Olaparib is the first targeted therapy for women with BRCAm ovarian cancer and clinical trials show that it provides an important quality of life benefit by significantly increasing the time it takes for the disease to progress and the time to further chemotherapy cycles.
