Following a full submission.
Pemetrexed (Alimta®) in combination with cisplatin is accepted for restricted use within NHS Scotland for the treatment of chemotherapy-naïve patients with stage III/IV unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma. Pemetrexed in combination with cisplatin prolonged survival compared with cisplatin alone in patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Pemetrexed is the first licensed agent for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Pemetrexed is also indicated as monotherapy for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer after prior chemotherapy. SMC has not yet received a submission for this indication and therefore cannot currently recommend its use.
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Medicine details
- Medicine name:
- Pemetrexed 500mg infusion (Alimta®)
- SMC ID:
- 192/05
- Indication:
- Chemotherapy-naïve patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma
- Pharmaceutical company
- Eli Lilly and Company Ltd
- BNF chapter
- Malignant disease and immunosuppression
- Submission type
- Full
- Status
- Superseded
- Date advice published
- 08 August 2005