NICE launches new service to speed NHS adoption of health technologies
pharmafile | October 13, 2015 | News story | Manufacturing and Production, Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | NHS, NICE, OMA, market access, office for market access
NICE is introducing a new service, the Office for Market Access (OMA), to work with industry to speed up NHS adoption of new health technologies.
NICE says the landscape for the adoption of new medicines, devices and diagnostics is changing rapidly with the advent of innovative new schemes such as the MHRA’s Early Access to Medicines Scheme (EAMS), which allows conditional and adaptive licensing of some drugs before they are approved by NICE.
The Institute believes that in this environment, greater engagement with pharma is necessary to enable the industry to achieve market access at an affordable price for the NHS.
The OMA was proposed after NICE acknowledged that its Centre for Health Technology Evaluation, which appraises new drugs and treatments, “is hampered by lack of visibility in engagement and outreach functions” with pharma companies.
Companies will be able to access a dedicated team at NICE for enquiries relating to health technology evaluation, and tailored support to help companies navigate the NICE appraisal process, and “beneficial interactions with the right people.”
Professor Carole Longson, NICE health technology evaluation centre director, says: “Technology continues to transform our ability to predict, diagnose and treat disease. New drugs and technologies – many developed here in the UK with our superb science base – are helping to turn conditions that used to disable or kill people into chronic illnesses.
“NICE can encourage the faster development and delivery of new, effective, innovative and affordable drugs and technologies to patients. As part of this, we are launching an Office for Market Access, OMA. OMA will help to improve the rates at which drugs, devices and diagnostics get picked up and adopted by the NHS.
“It will speed up the adoption of innovative and cost-effective health technologies by helping companies to get the right evidence, develop a better business case and engage with the right people. OMA will help to deliver the outcomes of the government’s Accelerated Access Review which is intended to clear a path through the regulatory landscape for technology developers to get effective and innovative technologies to patients faster.”
Dr Paul Catchpole, the ABPI’s Director of Value and Access, adds: “The ABPI very much welcomes the new initiative announced today by NICE, and the real opportunity it represents for all key stakeholders that play a role in getting new medicines to patients, to engage and interact together more closely.
“Any initiative which strengthens relationships and delivers earlier, more frequent and meaningful dialogue between the life sciences industry, regulators, NICE, and the NHS can only help speed up and improve the adoption and use of innovative medicines for NHS patients.
“The ABPI looks forward to supporting the Office for Market Access and to helping shape and develop its portfolio of offerings and services which will bring real added value to stakeholders, enabling NHS patients across the country to get more timely and consistent access to clinically and cost effective innovative new medicines.”
Further details are available at nice.org.uk/oma.
Read more about NICE’s plans for the Office for Market Access in this month’s Pharmafocus supplement, Insights into Market Access.
Joel Levy
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