NICE backs Celgene’s Otezla for psoriatic arthritis

pharmafile | October 12, 2016 | News story | Research and Development, Sales and Marketing Celgene, NICE, otezla 

The national Institute of Health and Care Excellence has issued recommendation of Celgene’s Otezla (apremilast) for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis in England and Wales.

The news follows the drug’s recommendation for use in the treatment of severe psoriasis in August. It was originally rejected in November last year despite its counterpart the Scottish Medicines Consortium’s decision to approve it.

The drug now provides patients with an oral pill treatment option as opposed to the many available injectable alternatives. NICE has recommended it for use alone or together with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in adults who have not previously responded to them, despite calling it a “less-effective treatment” than its alternatives, on the condition that drug is made available via a patient access scheme in order to make it cost-effective.

Otezla is listed on the NHS as costing £265.18 for a 14-day treatment initiation pack (4×10mg, 4×20mg and 19×30mg) and £550.00 for a 28-day pack (56×30mg). Analysts expect the drug to generate $1.3 billion by 2018, while the company has set its sights on an even higher $2 billion.

Matt Fellows

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