NICE to fast-track more drugs
pharmafile | August 31, 2006 | News story | |Â Â Â
More drugs are to be switched to NICE's new fast-track appraisal system, with the government reaffirming its pledge to end the so-called 'NICE blight'.
Health Minister Caroline Flint announced that new treatments for cancer, asthma, heart failure and multiple sclerosis will join the fast-track system first developed a year ago.
The new medicines in question had originally been scheduled to be appraised through NICE's conventional approach, but have been switched to the accelerated appraisal because of their potential importance to patients.
The new fast-tracked medicines are:
* Roche's Tarceva (erlotinib) for non-small cell lung cancer;
* Pfizer's Campto (irinotecan) for adjuvant-advanced colorectal cancer (subject to licensing);
* Lilly's Alimta (pemetrexed) for non-small cell lung cancer;
* BristolMyersSquibb/Merck's Erbitux (cetuximab) for locally advanced recurrent metastatic head and neck cancer (subject to licensing);
* Abbott's Xinlay (atrasentan) for hormone-refractory prostate cancer (subject to licensing);
* Novartis' Xolair (omalizumab) for asthma;
* Gliadel Wafer's carmustine implants for recurrent glioma;
* Scio's Natrecor (nesiritide) for acute heart failure;
* Elan's Tysabri (natalizumab) for multiple sclerosis;
* Schering-Plough's Remicade (infliximab) for psoriatic arthritis
* Cambridge Antibody Technology's CAT-152 (lerdelimumab) for glaucoma.
Caroline Flint said: "I am pleased to announce the transfer of these topics to NICE's single technology appraisal process. Although we have made it clear to health bodies that they should not withhold funding for appropriate treatments because NICE guidance is not available, tackling these appraisals in this way means that guidance reaches the NHS as soon as possible."
She added: "While there is a strong focus on treatments for life-threatening conditions, both asthma and psoriasis affect large numbers of people and can have significant impacts on their quality of life. Guidance from NICE will help reduce uncertainty about their provision and inform patients about their effectiveness."
Commenting on the referrals, Andrew Dillon, NICE's chief executive, said: "We welcome the referral of new topics across our work programmes. We will begin work on all the topics as soon as possible and we will make detailed timetables available on our website shortly."
The new single technology appraisal (STA) process was agreed between the government and NICE last November, with breast cancer treatment Herceptin the first to be appraised. NICE says the system allows it to appraise drugs to a faster timetable without reducing the quality of that appraisal.
When the STA process was first announced, seven topics were initially identified from NICE's existing work programme as a pilot. In the light of the experience of putting these initial topics through the STA process, NICE has now produced a process manual, which can be accessed on http://www.nice.org.uk/page.aspx?o=316193.
Since its formation in 1999, NICE has produced guidance on 195 pharmaceuticals, 56 procedures, 17 diagnostics and 113 devices.
