The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance on the use of bortezomib and thalidomide for the first-line treatment of multiple myeloma.

The following recommendations have been made (taken directly from source):

• Thalidomide in combination with an alkylating agent and a corticosteroid is recommended as an option for the first-line treatment of multiple myeloma in people for whom high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplantation is considered inappropriate.

• Bortezomib in combination with an alkylating agent and a corticosteroid is recommended as an option for the first-line treatment of multiple myeloma if high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplantation is considered inappropriate and the person is unable to tolerate or has contraindications to thalidomide.