NICE Turns Down Pembrolizumab Plus Chemotherapy for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

The UK’s National Institute for Health Care and Excellence (NICE) is not recommending Merck’s Keytruda (pembrolizumab) plus chemotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer for the National Health Service (NHS).

NICE cited the drug’s high cost as one reason for the draft recommendation. It did note that there is no clinical data comparing the treatment combination with Genentech’s Tecentriq (atezolizumab) plus chemotherapy treatment combination, which is already recommended for NHS use.

Keytruda plus chemotherapy does appear to be more effective than Bristol Myers Squibb’s Taxol (paclitaxel) and Abraxane (nab-paclitaxel), the institute said, but added that the long-term benefit couldn’t be measured.

NICE said it has asked Merck about how Keytruda plus chemotherapy compares with Tecentriq plus chemotherapy.

The average cost of a course of treatment with Keytruda in the UK is more than $110,000. A course of treatment can take two or more years.