The second time turned out to be the charm for Janssen Inc.’s Zytiga (arbiratone): on May 16, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence of England reversed its negative recommendation for the second-line treatment for castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer. Unsurprisingly, a significant discount appears to have done the trick for Janssen and – together with the recent positive decision from Germany’s IQWiG – catapults the drug towards securing a meaningful portion of the European prostate cancer market.
Whilst NICE’s change of heart in the Final Appraisal Determination appears to be a giant U-turn, the reality is that...