Care Institute : nivolumab not in package

World December 8, 2015 14:56

- The new lung cancer agent nivolumab should not be included in the basic package, unless the price goes down through negotiation. Now the drug is too expensive, the Care Institute writes in a recommendation to Health Minister Edith Schippers.

Last week it was announced the draft advice. According to the institute, the effectiveness of the drug compared to the cost, very unfavorable. The survival benefit compared to the conventional treatment with chemotherapy is an average of three months. The cost per life year amount to 134 000 euro.,null, There are indications that the survival benefit for some patients is higher than three months, but these patients can not be identified in advance, '' said the Care Institute.The institute, the main advisory body to the Ministry of Health, has a cost limit of 80 000 per year for serious diseases.