NICE issue first fast track guidance for Bayer’s CNV treatment Eylea
NICE issue first fast-track guidance, recommending Bayer’s drug Eylea for choroidal neovascularisation (CNV).
As a result, the drug will be made available to patients in England and Wales approximately five months earlier than if it had gone through the standard NICE procedure.
It is believed that there are approximately 3,200 people in England living with CNV, which can lead to visual impairments such as the loss of central vision. Eylea will also compete against Novartis’ already NICE-recommended Lucentis.
In doing so, cost will now be the deciding factor. NICE’s draft guidance noted that, where both are considered suitable by patients and their clinicians, “the least costly should be used”.
Bayer has also agreed a patient access scheme, the details of which are ‘commercial in confidence’ to reduce the cost of its intravitreal injection to the NHS.
NICE’s fast track procedure is designed to provide patients faster access to the most cost-effective treatments, that is those with an anticipated incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER) of less than £10,000 per QALY gained.
The fast track process is also available to treatments that display similar health benefits at the same or lower cost to treatments recommended in appraisal guidance for the same indication.
The final guidance on Eylea is due to be published on 1 November 2017, with the drug to be made routinely available from 1 December 2017.
Source: PMLive