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news.National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has recommended the use of Abatacept (Orencia) in patients who do not respond adequately in treatment with an anti-TNF (TNF-a inhibitor) and who have a contraindication to Rituximab or have treatment with Rituximab withdrawn as a result of an adverse event, by issuing a final appraisal determination (FAD).
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The use of Orencia in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is supported by evidence-based European treatment guidelines from EULAR (European League against Rheumatism), published in Annals of Rheumatic Diseases May 2010.
NICE’s FAD reverses the results of both the previous NICE appraisal in 2007 and a draft guidance published in February 2010. NICE’s final guidance is expected to be published in July 2010.
Valerie Campello-Iddison, executive medical director of Bristol-Myers Squibb, said: “We are pleased that NICE has recognised that Orencia is both clinically and cost effective as a treatment option for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.
“Effective long term treatment of RA depends on access to a range of therapies, allowing clinicians to choose a biologic that best suits individual patient needs and providing for sequential use of different agents throughout this life-long disease. NICE’s new recommendation goes a long way to addressing this critical patient need.”