Bayer wins, Glaxo loses at NICE

The U.K.'s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence gives--and it takes away. The drugs gatekeeper has recommended Bayer's Xarelto anti-clotting treatment for the National Health Service formulary. But it has denied GlaxoSmithKline's cancer drug Tyverb yet again.

NICE is recommending Xarelto as an option for preventing clots in adults undergoing hip or knee replacement surgery. According to Bayer's news release, Xarelto (rivaroxaban) showed "superior efficacy" over the current treatment standard of injectable Lovenox. In a 12,500-patient trial, Xarelto cut the combined total of venous thromboembolism cases and deaths by 49 percent to 79 percent, the release notes.

Meanwhile, NICE wasn't so nice to Glaxo. It said Tyverb's benefits to breast cancer patients were "limited" and that the drug is still too expensive, even after Glaxo offered to pick up part of the tab. It's the final word on Tyverb from NICE, which rejected the drug in a preliminary ruling last year. Glaxo says it may appeal the decision. "We disagree with the NICE decision and believe Tyverb is a valuable and important treatment for eligible women," the company said in a statement.

- see the Bayer release
- read the Glaxo's release
- check out the PharmaGossip post

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