Janssen’s Imbruvica recommended by SMC as leukaemia therapy

Janssen has announced that its cancer therapy Imbruvica has been recommended as a leukaemia treatment by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC).

The Scottish regulator has endorsed the ibrutinib therapy for restricted use as a treatment option for adults with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia for whom fludarabine-based regimens are inappropriate.

This decision was supported by positive safety and efficacy data from the pivotal phase III study RESONATE, as well as the benefits of a patient access scheme offered by Janssen to enhance the product's cost-effectiveness.

Previously, the SMC recommended the use of Imbruvica as a single agent in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia patients with 17p deletion or TP53 mutation who are unsuitable for chemo-immunotherapy.

Jennifer Lee, director of health economics, market access, reimbursement and advocacy at Janssen UK, said: "We have worked closely with the SMC to ensure that patients suffering with blood cancer have access to this efficacious treatment and are pleased that ibrutinib will now be available as a treatment option to more patients."

In 2014, 161 patients were diagnosed with this form of cancer in Scotland, with 87 deaths from the disease registered in the same year.

With over 20 years of experience within the pharmaceutical market, we at Zenopa have the knowledge, skills and expertise to help find the right job for you. To find out more about the current pharmaceutical roles we have available, you can search for the latest job roles, register your details, or contact the team today.