NICE recently rejected Avastin, a bowel cancer drug for patients in advanced stages, from the house of giant drug-maker Roche, stating the it was too expensive and cannot be used by NHS, despite the fact that the Swiss pharmaceutical company was offering Avastin to the British health watchdog at subsidized rates.

At the cost of nearly 1,800 Pounds a month, Avastin has been found effective in shrinking tumors in 78% of the patients it was initially tested on, with a combination of chemotherapy drugs capecitabine and oxaliplatin. Although the drug is not a cure in itself, it does make patients more eligible for surgery.

Administration of Avastin could extend the lives of nearly 6,000 bowel cancer patients, who are currently struggling with the condition's advanced stages, across UK.

After NICE said that the drug wasn't "cost effective", Roche was quick to offer reduced rates to the agency, in addition to free oxaliplatin. The drug-maker said that its proposed scheme would reduce the price to 36,000 Pounds "per quality adjusted life year", over the 30,000 Pounds threshold which is currently used by NICE.

Despite the agency having out-right rejected the drug, Roche has said that it is "confident" of striking a deal with NICE to make Avastin available.