WIREDGOV

Final draft guidance published today (Thursday 21^st January 2010) by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) will enable another therapy to be considered for some people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland suffering with rheumatoid arthritis.

In the draft, certolizumab pegol is now recommended as a treatment option for some patients with the disease. 

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term disease in which joints in the body become inflamed, causing pain, swelling and stiffness.  It often affects the small joints of the hands and the feet, and usually both sides equally and symmetrically.  Around 400,000 people in the UK have RA and people of all ages can develop the disease.  Over twice as many women as men suffer from the condition.

Certolizumab pegol is a type of treatment known as a TNF (tumour necrosis factor) inhibitor.  It is recommended for the same use as the other TNF inhibitors: adalimumab, etanercept and infliximab, as outlined in existing NICE technology appraisal guidance 130. 

This draft recommendation has been made possible after the manufacturer, UCB Pharma, supplied more detailed information on the clinical and cost effectiveness of its treatment, certolizumab pegol, for the treatment of RA.  In the first draft guidance for certolizumab pegol (published in October 2009), the Appraisal Committee was minded not to recommend the drug unless additional information could be provided for their consideration. 

The manufacturer (UCB Pharma) will also provide the first 12 weeks of certolizumab pegol free to all patients starting treatment through a patient access scheme agreed with the Department of Health.. Under the scheme, people will receive these first 12 weeks of therapy (currently 10 pre-loaded syringes of 200 mg each) of certolizumab pegol free of charge.

In line with the NICE technology appraisals process, this final draft of the guidance is now with consultees who have the opportunity to appeal against the proposed recommendation. NICE has not yet issued final guidance to the NHS.   

Dr Carole Longson, Director, Health Technology Evaluation Centre said:  “Rheumatoid arthritis can be extremely painful and therefore, very debilitating, not only for the thousands of people in the UK with the disease, but also their families and carers.  I am pleased that, having considered the further information we requested, the independent Appraisal Committee has been able to make a positive draft recommendation for certolizumab pegol to be a treatment option for some patients.”