In addition to hard science, lobbying momentum could be another catalyst
driving sales of Pharmacyclics (PCYC-$131.38)
new blood cancer drug Imbruvica significantly higher in coming years.
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), which is an alliance of
leading global cancer centers, issues recommendation protocols reflecting the
consensus standard-of-care practices in oncology. Irrespective of formal FDA
regulatory approval, an NCCN endorsement can be highly determinative of which
therapies are reimbursed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
and private insurers in a given indication. In other words, forget ICD-9
diagnostics codes.
In addition to the formally approved indication of relapsed/refractory
MCL, updated NCCN guidelines now already recommend Imbruvica for the
“off-label” treatment of refractory and relapsed CLL and other NHL subtypes,
according to JMS Securities.
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