Daiichi Sankyo gets go-ahead for acute myeloid leukaemia treatment
Daiichi Sankyo, whose UK base is at ARC Uxbridge, has received approval from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for Vanflyta to be used for certain cases of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).
The drug has been recommended for routine NHS commissioning in England and Wales and is the first selective FLT3 inhibitor to be approved for use in the UK.
Approximately 18,000 people are diagnosed with AML, a type of blood cancer that starts from young white blood cells in the bone marrow, every year in Europe.
Commenting on the recommendation, Haran Maheson, head of UK oncology and vice president, Daiichi Sankyo UK, said:
“We are proud to have worked with NICE and NHS England to secure the first reimbursement for [Vanflyta] following health technology assessment in Europe. UK patients with newly diagnosed FLT3-ITD positive AML can now receive a selective targeted therapy for their disease for the first time.”
Sharing a similar sentiment, Colin Dyer, chief executive of UK charity Leukaemia Care, said:
“We welcome the decision by NICE to approve this treatment… Patients with FLT3-ITD mutations have an increased risk of relapse with standard treatments, so another targeted treatment option for such patients is important for clinicians to tailor treatment plans to their patients effectively.”