The UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has invited Merck to submit a Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) proposal for its immunotherapy, avelumab, for the treatment of patients with Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC).

MCC is a rare and aggressive type of skin cancer that occurs in the top layer of the patient’s skin, often close to nerve endings, which means the tumours can be painful.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

Avelumab is a form of immunotherapy that can fight cancer by harnessing the power of the patient’s own immune system to destroy and kill the cancer cells.

NICE Centre for Health Technology Evaluation director Carole Longson said: “MCC is a rare and aggressive form of cancer.

“There are limited treatment options and the cancer can spread rapidly, which we know can be frightening for both patients and families.

“Avelumab is a promising treatment that has the potential to be cost effective. I hope Merck will work with us to submit a CDF proposal.”

“Avelumab is a promising treatment that has the potential to be cost effective. I hope Merck will work with us to submit a CDF proposal.”

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Including a therapy in the CDF means patients can have access to the treatment while the developer collects more data on the efficacy of the drug.

The additional evidence will then be submitted to the NICE committee that would reconsider the drug for routine availability for patients on the National Health Service (NHS).

Marketed as Bavencio, avelumab was evaluated by NICE as a treatment option for MCC.

The UK committee has found that current clinical data obtained from one small trial suggests avelumab can extend patient survival compared with chemotherapy.

However, additional data is still being collected.