What has SMC said?
The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has accepted pembrolizumab for the treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, where the cancer has spread to nearby tissues but can be removed by surgery. Pembrolizumab is used alone as a neoadjuvant treatment (treatment given before surgery to shrink the tumour). After surgery it is given with radiation treatment, together with cisplatin chemotherapy or just with radiation treatment. If the tumour produces a protein called PD-L1 with a combined positive score of more than 1 (CPS≥1), pembrolizumab is then given as a treatment on its own.
This document summarises the SMC decision and what it means for patients.
You can find more detailed information about the SMC assessment of pembrolizumab by looking at the SMC Detailed Advice Document (SMC2907).
More
What does SMC’s decision mean for patients?
Pembrolizumab for use as described above is available for prescribing on the NHS in Scotland. Your healthcare professional can discuss with you if it is the right treatment for you.
You can find more information about making decisions about your treatment here: Medicines in Scotland: What’s the right treatment for me?
More about SMC’s decision
SMC’s decision takes into account a confidential discount offered by the pharmaceutical company.
How does SMC make its decision?
SMC carefully considers every new medicine to make sure it benefits patients and is likely to be a good use of NHS resources.
To do this SMC studies the following:
- Evidence from the company about how well the medicine works compared with current treatments available in Scotland, in relation to how much they will cost to buy and use to treat patients.
- Information from patient groups about the potential impact of the medicine on patients and carers.
- Advice from healthcare professionals about any benefits of the new medicine compared to current treatment, along with how the new medicine is likely to be used.
When SMC assesses a medicine it takes account of the needs of all patients in NHSScotland, not only those who may be treated with the medicine.
You can find out more about how SMC decides here: https://www.scottishmedicines.org.uk/how-we-decide/
More information and support
The organisation below can provide more information and support for people with head and neck cancer and their families. SMC is not responsible for the content of any information provided by external organisations.
Head and Neck Cancer UK (HANCUK)
https://hancuk.org
You can find out more about pembrolizumab (brand name: Keytruda®) in the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) by searching for the medicine name on the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) website.
https://products.mhra.gov.uk/