NICE denies funding for polatuzumab vedotin combination in R/R DLBCL

The Lymphoma Hub recently covered the conditional marketing authorization approval for polatuzumab vedotin (pola) in combination with bendamustine and rituximab (BR) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who are ineligible for hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). In a first draft statement released by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the combination regimen has been denied NHS funding and will not be recommended for use in patients with R/R DLBCL. The decision came following an assessment by the NICE cost-effectiveness body.

Data from the phase Ib/II GO29365 (NCT02257567) trial, evaluating the safety, tolerability, and anti-tumor activity of pola plus BR, suggest that the triplet therapy extends both progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with R/R DLBCL. However, the committee concluded that, although the treatment is considered life-extending at the end of life, the cost-effectiveness estimates are too uncertain, as final data from the trial are not yet available. The pola combination therapy will not be recommended for routine use in the NHS, and therefore the search for a standard of care for patients with R/R DLBCL unsuitable for HSCT continues.