The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published the proposal after the manufacturer, Janssen-Cilag, said it would refund the costs of treating patients if the therapy was not a success. The offer was made after NICE had rejected the drug for the NHS on the grounds of cost.
NICE's independent advisory committee has recommended that all suitable patients should be offered treatment. Patients showing a full or partial response to the drug should be kept on it and funded by the NHS, while those demonstrating a minimal or no response should be taken off the drug, and the drug costs refunded by the drug's manufacturer.
Andrew Dillon, NICE chief executive, said: “We are aware of the challenge that the NHS faces in ensuring that patients can access expensive, but potentially effective, treatments for life-threatening conditions such as cancer. If the drug's manufacturer accepts the proposals we are consulting on today, it will mean that when the drug works well the NHS pays but when it doesn't the manufacturer should bear the cost. All patients suitable for treatment will get the chance to see if the drug works well for them.”
The final decision on whether to put the refund scheme – the first of its kind – into practice rests with the manufacturer and the Department of Health, NICE said in a statement.