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Published NCMAG advice

The NCMAG Council makes decisions on the proposed use of cancer medicines. Our advice documents give details of our decisions and the reason(s) for supporting or not supporting the use of a medicine.

Medicine review process

These advice documents present the details and an analysis of the quality of the clinical and the economic evidence for the medicine reviewed. Council members use this evidence to make a decision.

Once a decision has been made on the use of a medicine, the document informs NHS Boards and their Area Drug and Therapeutic Committees (ADTC). They can then determine medicines for local use or local formulary inclusion.

Published advice

Publication dateMedicine Use Decision Advice document
Publication date
18 January 2024
Medicine
Sunitinib
Use
Second line treatment of adult patients with poor or intermediate risk advanced/metastatic renal cell carcinoma who have received nivolumab in combination with ipilimumab as first line treatment. (Off-patent use)
Decision
Supported
Advice document
Publication date
18 January 2024
Medicine
Pazopanib
Use
Second line treatment of adult patients with poor or intermediate risk advanced/metastatic renal cell carcinoma who have received nivolumab in combination with ipilimumab as first line treatment. (Off-label use)
Decision
Not supported
Advice document
Publication date
26 October 2023
Medicine
Nivolumab
Use
Treatment of patients with pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma; second or subsequent line. (Off-label use)
Decision
Supported
Advice document
Publication date
26 October 2023
Medicine
Dabrafenib plus trametinib
Use
Treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic anaplastic thyroid cancer with BRAF V600E mutation and with no satisfactory locoregional treatment options (Off-label use)
Decision
Supported
Advice document
Publication date
27 July 2023
Medicine
Pemetrexed plus cisplatin
Use
Adjuvant treatment for patients with completely resected stage II to IIIA nonsquamous non–small-cell lung cancer (Off-label use)
Decision
Supported
Advice document
Publication date
27 July 2023
Medicine
Abiraterone
Use
Treatment for newly diagnosed low-risk hormone sensitive metastatic prostate cancer patients who are not suitable for currently available on-label alternatives.  (Off-label use)
Decision
Supported
Advice document
Publication date
27 April 2023
Medicine
Vinorelbine
Use
Treatment of pleural mesothelioma; second or subsequent line in patients whose disease has progressed on or after prior treatment with platinum based chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy. (Off-label use)
Decision
Not supported
Advice document
Publication date
12 January 2023
Medicine
Abiraterone plus prednisolone in addition to androgen deprivation therapy
Use
Adults with high-risk hormone-sensitive non-metastatic prostate cancer. (Off-label use)Enter content
Decision
Supported
Advice document
NCMAG102
(re-evaluation, supersedes NCMAG101)
Publication date
12 January 2023
Medicine
Carfilzomib plus dexamethasone
Use
Once weekly dosing of carfilzomib for adult patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy. (Off-label use)
Decision
Supported
Advice document
Publication date
12 January 2023
Medicine
Trastuzumab
Use
The treatment duration of 6-months, or 9 cycles, for adult patients categorised as lower risk with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positive early breast cancer (EBC) in the neo-adjuvant and adjuvant treatment pathways. (Off-label use)
Decision
Supported
Advice document
Publication date
20 October 2022
Medicine
Lenalidomide plus dexamethasone
Use
Adults with previously untreated multiple myeloma who are not eligible for transplant, and are suitable for thalidomide-containing regimen. (On-label use and off-patent medicines)
Decision
Supported
Advice document