English wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients are getting more choice to a first-line effective treatment, as the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) gave a positive Final Appraisal Determination (FAD) recommending the routine National Health Service (NHS) use of Merck’s Erbitux (cetuximab) in combination with either Folfiri or Folfox.
This decision expands the previous NICE recommendation, which endorsed the use of Erbitux in combination with either Folfox or Folfiri solely for patients whose cancer had spread only to the liver (liver-limited disease).
“Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer in the UK have very limited access to effective first-line treatments,” said Jola Gore-Booth, Founder/CEO of the colorectal cancer patient advocacy group, EuropaColon. “We are therefore delighted with NICE’s decision, as it means there is now more choice for patients in England regarding treatment options that they can benefit from.”
Both the European Society for Medical Oncology and the US National Comprehensive Cancer Network clinical guidelines also recommend first-line treatment with Erbitux, in combination with either Folfox or Folfiri, for patients with RAS wild-type mCRC