NICE is unable to recommend the use in the NHS of carmustine implants as an adjunct to surgery in patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme for whom surgical resection is indicated because no evidence submission was received from the manufacturer or sponsor of the technology.

Advice from the Committee notes that the manufacturer of carmustine implants (Archimedes Pharma UK) was invited to submit evidence for this single technology appraisal in May 2007. In July 2007, the manufacturer sent a ‘submission statement’ to NICE, expressing the view that most patients will have received previous treatment with carmustine implants before they undergo subsequent surgery for recurrent glioblastoma (following the publication of previous NICE guidance [TA121] on the use of carmustine implants and temozolomide in newly diagnosed patients with high-grade glioma). As all of the available data are from recurrent glioblastoma patients who have not previously received treatment with carmustine implants, the evidence does not reflect current clinical practice. In addition, only a small number of patients would undergo subsequent surgery for recurrent glioblastoma in England and Wales each year.

NICE has therefore terminated this single technology appraisal. NHS organisations are advised to take into account the reasons why the manufacturer did not make an evidence submission when considering whether or not to recommend local use of this treatment.