UK’s NICE Approves Liso-cel for NHS England
February 21, 2025
The United Kingdom’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has
approved lisocabtagene maraleucel (liso-cel), a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, for use in England’s National Health Service after negotiating a pricing agreement with Bristol Myers Squibb.
Liso-cel, marketed as Breyanzi, will now be available for patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma. The decision reversed an initial rejection in October after Bristol Myers Squibb revised its commercial offer.
NICE estimates that approximately 600 patients in England could benefit from the therapy each year. NHS England will provide funding within 90 days, with interim access available through the Cancer Drugs Fund.
Earlier this month, NICE announced a
similar funding agreement for exagamglogene autotemcel (Casgevy, Vertex Pharmaceuticals), a gene therapy approved to treat sickle cell disease.
