A novel cancer treatment will be accessible on the NHS following ‘careful consideration of the evidence’ by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). This decision arrives almost a year after the organisation’s draft guidance suggested it ‘should not be used routinely’ due to insufficient evidence.
Amivantamab with lazertinib will now be available on the NHS, offering a potential treatment for individuals with a specific type of untreated advanced lung cancer. According to NICE, hundreds of Brits could benefit from this treatment. On 21 January, NICE announced the new guidance stating: “Just over 1,100 people with a form of advanced lung cancer are set to benefit from a new first-line treatment option today.”
The final guidance published by NICE recommends Amivantamab with lazertinib for untreated EGFR mutation-positive advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.
For patients, NICE clarified that this new development means “your healthcare professionals should give you clear information, talk with you about your options and listen carefully to your views and concerns. Your family can be involved too, if you wish.”
Lazertinib is typically taken as a daily oral tablet, while amivantamab is usually administered as an intravenous (IV) infusion. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency initially approved lazertinib with amivantamab as a treatment for these patients last March.
The treatment was already accessible on the NHS in Scotland and will now also be available to patients in England.
In July 2025, NICE initiated a consultation to determine if the drug should be utilised in the NHS. In its draft guidance, it stated: “Amivantamab plus lazertinib is not required to be funded in the NHS in England… It should not be used routinely in the NHSin England.
“This is because there is not enough evidence to determine whether amivantamabplus lazertinib is value for money in this population.”
During the consultation, NICE discovered clinical trial evidence indicating that the combination of amivantamab plus lazertinib prolongs the period before a patient’s condition worsens. It could also extend life expectancy compared with other standalone treatment options currently available.
Now, following this consultation, it has issued the final guidance which found: “Amivantamab plus lazertinib must be funded in the NHS in England for the condition and population in the recommendations, if it is considered the most suitable treatment option.
“Amivantamab plus lazertinib must be funded in England within 90 days of final publication of this guidance.
“There is enough evidence to show that amivantamab plus lazertinib provides benefits and value for money, so it can be used routinely across the NHS in this population.”
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
