Cost of drug not justified by its limited benefit, NICE says

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published draft guidance that recommends nab-paclitaxel given with gemcitabine should not be funded by the NHS for previously untreated metastatic pancreatic cancer. Nab-paclitaxel, which is given in combination with gemcitabine, is also known as Abraxane and is marketed by Celgene. It is a novel formulation of paclitaxel, a chemotherapy, which works by blocking cell division and promoting cell death. In this formulation, paclitaxel is attached to albumin, which helps it move through the walls of blood vessels. NICE is currently looking at how well nab-paclitaxel, given with gemcitabine, works for