New treatment for skin lymphoma not to be available on the NHS in England and Wales
Published on: 4 March 2021NICE is not recommending mogamulizumab for the treatment of relapsed or refractory mycosis fungoides or Sézary syndrome.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has today announced that it is not recommending mogamulizumab for the treatment of people with mycosis fungoides or Sézary syndrome. These are the two most common subtypes of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, rare types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that affect the skin.
People who were already being treated with mogamulizumab on the NHS before the NICE guidance was published can continue with their treatment.
Mogamulizumab is an antibody therapy that is licensed for adults with mycosis fungoides or Sézary syndrome who have received at least one previous systemic therapy.
NICE decided that the evidence supporting mogamulizumab was not strong enough to be certain that it is cost-effective compared to standard treatments for people with T-cell skin lymphoma in the UK. The clinical trial that formed the basis for mogamulizumab’s licence compared mogamulizumab to a treatment that is not available in the UK so NICE could not make a direct comparison and felt that indirect comparisons were insufficient.
Lymphoma Action, along with other organisations and healthcare professionals, took part in an appeal against NICE’s decision not to recommend the treatment. The appeal was upheld and NICE will now revisit their recommendation. We will report on the outcome when it is announced.
We’re very grateful and pleased that the NICE Appeal Panel upheld the appeal around mogamulizumab on a number of grounds. This means that by relooking at aspects such as mogamulizumab’s cost effectiveness, there is an opportunity to make this treatment available to those people affected by skin lymphoma who have limited treatment options left. We are hopeful that NICE’s reassessment might bring parity with the SMC’s decision to make mogamulizumab available in Scotland.
Mogamulizumab is available for NHS use in Scotland. Northern Ireland usually follows NICE recommendations.
Find out more about drug development, approval and funding, or visit Lymphoma TrialsLink for the latest on clinical trials for lymphoma.
4 March 2021
Updated 11 June 2021