August 21, 2006 – The British National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) will not pay for the colorectal drugs from Genentech and ImClone because they are too expensive for the benefit they confer. Although Avastin and Erbitux extend the life expectancy of bowel cancer patients, NICE decided paying for either one of the two drugs was not “compatible with the best use of NHS (National Health Service) resources.” Genentech has also decided to get its side of the story in front of the public. More details...
