NICE announces the recommendation of Amgen’s blinatumomab for treating acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). The indication is for patients in first complete remission with minimal residual disease (MRD) activity of at least 0.1%. This decision to recommend the drug as a cost-effective use of NHS resources was made after the submission of new evidence from the
Akcea Therapeutics’ Inotersen has received recommendation from NICE, meaning the therapy will now be made available to NHS patients in England and Wales for the treatment of Stage 1 or Stage 2 polyneuropathy in adult patients with hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (hATTR). hATTR is a serious condition caused by “the abnormal formation of the TTR protein
NICE has recommended funding for Nusinersen on the NHS. The recommendation was made for infants, children and adults with 5q spinal muscular atrophy and will be available through a scheme known as a Managed Access Agreement (MAA), meaning that patients will be able to get Nusinersen while more long-term data on its efficacy is gathered.
A report by MAP BioPharma (MAP) claims that NICE’s appraisal of rare disease medicines does not deliver equal access for patients urging the company to reform. The findings show that routine availability of new medicines was “delayed or prevented entirely due to an inflexible, inappropriate assessment processes”. Of the 24 completed STA reviews of rare
NICE and EMIG are working together to increase understanding of the services the Institute offers the life sciences industry. The collaboration also aims to open up a new channel for the industry to give feedback to NICE to inform any review, monitoring or refinement of its processes. The partnership will run as a pilot scheme
Bayer’s Regorafenib has received a final approval from NICE for use by the NHS to treat advanced liver cancer. Regorafenib is recommended as an option for treating advanced unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma in adults who have had Sorafenib, however they can only receive the treatment if they have Child–Pugh grade A liver impairment and an Eastern
The public body has recommended in draft guidance that UCB’s Certolizumab pegol receives regular NHS funding for plaque psoriasis, although NICE decided that Almirall’s rival Tildrakizumab is not cost effective. Certolizumab pegol has been previously approved in Europe in the new indication of plaque psoriasis, thereby adding to a list of uses including rheumatoid arthritis,
NHS has three months to ensure that Novartis’ combination therapy dabrafenib/trametinib is routinely available to eligible skin cancer patients, after cost regulators published guidance backing funds for the treatment. NICE recommended the combination for use in patients with stage III BRAF V600 mutation-positive melanoma that has spread to lymph vessels, or lymph glands close to
A partnership between Greater Manchester and NICE that was created with the aim of improving the health of the local population has been extended for another three years. A Memorandum of Understanding has been agreed between NICE, Health Innovation Manchester and The University of Manchester outlining a shared commitment to boosting health through research, informing
Experts state that it is looking highly unlikely that Janssen’s Zytiga plus androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and prednisone/prednisolone will become routinely available on the NHS as a first-line treatment for patients with high-risk hormone-sensitive metastatic prostate cancer. NICE have published draft guidelines rejecting the therapy in this setting, after concluding that the company’s economic
