UK agency backs cancer drug after Sanofi cuts price

Reuters
French multinational pharmaceutical company SANOFI logo seen at their headquater in Paris, France, March 8, 2016. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's healthcare cost watchdog NICE said on Friday it had changed its mind and decided to recommend Sanofi's prostate cancer drug Jevtana after the French company agreed to a further discount. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said the improved discount was "an excellent example of how pharma companies can work with us to ensure that patients have access to all of their treatment options". NICE, which has taken a firm stance on the issue of the cost-effectiveness of costly new medicines, did not give details of the latest price reduction. (Reporting by Ben Hirschler; editing by David Clarke)