The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended Tepmetko (tepotinib) for the treatment of adult patients in the UK with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with METex14 skipping mutations.
Tepotinib is the first and only oral MET inhibitor to be recommended for people with advanced NSCLC harbouring METex14 skipping alterations for use on the NHS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Prior to the approval, existing treatment options for patients with METex14 skipping mutations have generally shown limited progression-free survival and overall survival benefits.
Paula Chadwick, chief executive of Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, welcomes the news but restresses the importance of genomic testing:
“It is excellent news to hear that NICE has approved tepotinib for people with non-small cell lung cancer and MET alterations. This is an aggressive type of lung cancer so we welcome any and all new treatments that could give patients a chance to live longer and live well with this disease.”
“It is vital all patients have access to more targeted treatments for their specific type of lung cancer and that they undergo genomic testing. That way, they can benefit from the new therapies, like tepotinib, that are now available to them.”
Interim funding via the Cancer Drugs Fund will enable reimbursement of tepotinib in England until NICE final guidance is published.
