NICE Update on Treatment for Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has released an updated technology appraisal indicating possible treatment alternatives to individuals afflicted with chronic myeloid leukaemia. Since 2003, imatinib was regularly prescribed, due to its safety, cost, and effectiveness over other drugs in the field. However, new evidence has shown that dasatinib and nilotinib have similar benefits to imatinib, and are considered to be more effective. Nevertheless, NICE cautions that dasatinib is not recommended as the first drug of choice for individuals who have no prior treatment records for chronic myeloid laukaemia; "the high cost of this drug does not justify the benefits provided" (NICE, 2012). Nilotinib or imatinib are thus both seen as more viable treatment options. For more information on this recommendation, include access to the complete guide and a version intended for patients and caregivers, click here.