We welcome today’s announcement that NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) has issued a positive recommendation for the use of Imfinzi (durvalumab) in combination with Imjudo (tremelimumab) as a treatment option for adult patients with advanced or unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
This recommendation follows evidence from the HIMALAYA Phase III trial, which evaluated the STRIDE regimen (Single Tremelimumab Regular Interval Durvalumab). The trial demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in overall survival compared to the previous standard-of-care treatment, sorafenib, a tyrosine-kinase inhibitor.
We had submitted evidence to NICE on behalf of patients. The Trust is delighted that these views have now been listened to, and this new treatment option can now be made available on the NHS in England and Wales.
The NICE recommendation means that eligible patients with advanced or unresectable HCC will have access to the STRIDE regimen, benefitting from a therapy that can offer improved long-term survival outcomes. This marks the first approval by NICE of a dual immunotherapy for liver cancer.
Vanessa Hebditch, Director of Policy and Communications at the British Liver Trust, said: “Liver cancer incidence is rising rapidly, and patients often face limited treatment choices. Currently only 13% of patients survive for five years or more and, consequently, the nurses on our helpline regularly hear from patients and family members who are devastated by this diagnosis. Today’s decision by NICE brings an important new treatment option to patients with advanced liver cancer and will make a real difference to patients and their families.”
Dr. David J. Pinato, Consultant Medical Oncologist at Imperial College London, added: “This new immunotherapy combination addresses one of the most critical unmet needs in advanced liver cancer. The majority of patients are diagnosed at a stage when curative treatments are no longer possible. Having access to a treatment that can deliver improved long-term survival is a major step forward for both clinicians and patients.”
More information on HCC is here HCC liver cancer – Liver Cancer UK