Roche Breast Cancer Drug is Too Pricey for UK Healthcare Watchdog

April 23, 2014

The United Kingdom's healthcare cost watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), reported that the cost of Roche's new breast cancer drug, Kadcyla, is too high to be justified.

NICE stated that if the costs -- around $152,496 per patient -- are not reduced, the drug will not be used on the National Health Service. NHS is the publicly funded healthcare system for England.

Kadcyla represents a significant advance in non-operable HER2-positive breast cancer, adding almost six months to patients' lives.

If the costs do not change, Kadcyla will become the third breast cancer drug manufactured by Roche turned down by NICE due to costs.

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