Excerpt from article appearing at:
www.pharmatimes.com/UKNews/article.aspx?id=16353
... "despite agreeing that Vidaza is indeed clinically effective within its licensed indications, NICE’s Committee felt that treatment with the drug is just too costly for use on the health service. Although it was unable to determine a final cost-effectiveness estimate, the Committee concluded that the ICER would be significantly higher than the manufacturer’s base case scenario of £66,000 per QALY (quality-adjusted life year), and so could not endorse its use, even when taking into account new guidance for appraising end-of-life drugs."
"David R Hall, Chairman of the MDS UK Patient Support Group, said patients will be 'devastated' by NICE's preliminary recommendations. 'Celgene’s VIDAZA has brought a ray of hope to MDS sufferers, particularly those with the higher risk conditions' as it 'replaces the uncomfortable and tedious blood transfusion regime' and extends expected survival, he explained. 'Placing an arbitrary value on human life is presumptuous in any situation,' he said, and added: 'When suffering in old age, with premature death are the criteria, our society needs to look critically at the avenues through which public funds are dispensed'."
The article goes on to indicate: "The Committee’s conclusions could still be contested, however, and the closing date for comments is August 24 August in time for a Second Appraisal Committee meeting on September 3."