Roche has requested the approval of Tarceva as a treatment for patients who have not responded or are not able to tolerate the chemotherapy Docetaxel.
Andrew Dillon, National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) chief executive, said that Tarceva was no more effective at treating lung cancer than currently available cheaper alternatives. NICE also said that the product was not cost effective and therefore would not be a good use of NHS funds.
NICE said it required more information about the drug from Roche before it would make a final decision.
Tarceva has been proven to significantly prolong survival in patients with advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer who have received at least one previous chemotherapy regimen that did not work.
In a large clinical study Tarceva produced a 45% increase in one-year survival for patients taking the drug. Tarceva is also used as a treatment for pancreatic cancer.