Multiple myeloma patients in England and Wales will now be able to receive Revlimid ^[1] (lenalidomide) as a treatment option under the National Health System (NHS) after an agreement was reached between NHS and Celgene ^[2], the maker of Revlimid.

The news comes after Celgene proposed a new cost-sharing plan where the NHS will pay for the first two years of treatment, and Celgene will pick up the bill for any further treatment. It is estimated that approximately 17 percent of myeloma patients treated with Revlimid will require treatment after two years.

The revised guidance has yet to be finalized and is being put out for consultation until February 20 by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). In England and Wales, NICE decides which treatments will be available to patients under the state-funded NHS.

NICE, under the revised guidance, will recommend that Revlimid be used in combination with dexamethasone in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma patients who have received two or more prior therapies.

The new deal is the latest advancement in controversial drug coverage decisions made by NICE in the past year. In November ^[3], NICE announced that it would not fund the use of Revlimid because of its £36,000 ($52,000) per-year cost. On January 2 ^[4], however, NICE issued a new guidance that approved the use of drugs that cost as much as £80,000 ($116,000) per year in cases where a patient was expected to live less than two years, the treatment could extend life by at least three months, and no less expensive treatment could offer similar results.

In Scotland, the Scottish Medicine Consortium (SMC), similar to NICE in England and Wales, decided not to recommend use of Revlimid under the National Health System of Scotland. However, a Scottish Government official added that “even when a drug is not recommended by the SMC, in exceptional circumstances where a clinical case may be made, special arrangements under ‘exceptional prescribing’ will be considered by the relevant NHS Board.”

The proposed deal in England and Wales, however, has garnered much praise and support, as there are nearly 3,800 new cases of multiple myeloma in the U.K. each year.

Rachel Rowson, from Macmillan Cancer Support ^[5], said “We are delighted that the manufacturer of Revlimid has decided to put patients before costs and will be making this treatment more affordable to the NHS. Revlimid can give some myeloma patients extra time which can be extremely valuable to them and their families.”

Additionally, Andrew Robertson, the general manager of Celgene in the U.K. and Ireland, stated “We understand that time is a precious commodity for patients with multiple myeloma and we are committed to ensuring that the Revlimid treatment continuation scheme is successfully implemented so that all patients who can benefit will have rapid and sustained access to treatment.”

More information about the proposed agreement can be found at the BBC News ^[6] Web site.