NICE reverses previous decision to recommend Vifor Pharma’s Veltassa for NHS treatment of hyperkalaemia

pharmafile | December 16, 2019 | News story | Sales and Marketing NHS, NICE, Veltassa, Vifor pharma 

It has emerged that NICE has awarded its recommendation to Vifor Pharma’s Veltassa (patiromer) for treating hyperkalaemia, a condition classified by high blood-potassium levels which leads to muscle weakness, nausea and even cardiac arrest, manifesting most commonly in heart failure patients or in the later stages of chronic kidney disease.

Specifically, the ruling relates to adult patients in emergency care or for those with chronic forms of the condition. It is expected to provide alternative treatment to an estimated 13,600 people.

The decision means the therapy will now be available on the NHS in England and Wales; it was based on new data demonstrating that that Veltassa successfully lowered serum potassium and could enable patients to continue to receive treatment with RAAS inhibitors for longer and at a higher dose.

The move is a U-turn on the UK watchdog’s previous decision in 2018 to reject the drug for NHS use based on a lack of data supporting its clinical and cost effectiveness. With these concerns addressed, the new recommendation also notes that, in patients requiring emergency care, lowering potassium levels with the therapy could be a “life-saving” intervention.

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Matt Fellows

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