Stelara (ustekinumab) has been accepted by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) for restricted use in the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.
The SMC guidance highlighted that patients treated with Stelara achieved a significantly higher clinical response over a 12-week period than those treated with etanercept, another biologic treatment.
After integrating the innovative Patient Access Scheme proposed by Jannsen-Cilag into its economic analysis, the SMC concluded that Stelara would result in cost savings compared to the current standard weekly treatment.
“The approval by the SMC for the use of Stelara in NHS Scotland provides both physicians and patients with a new treatment option, which is important because psoriasis can be a challenging disease to treat,” said Dr David Burden, Consultant Dermatologist at the Western Infirmary, Glasgow. “One of the benefits my patients appreciate is that the injection is only every three months compared to every week for some alternative treatments.”
Psoriasis is a chronic, painful autoimmune skin disease with an impact on patients’ quality of life that is comparable to heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and cancer.
“Psoriasis is a common condition, which is not only painful and unsightly but has a huge impact on how you feel about yourself. This is not helped by the fact that psoriasis has a low profile and as such is often misunderstood,” commented Janice Johnson, Co-Founder and Trustee of the Psoriasis Scotland Arthritis Link Volunteers (PSALV). “Some patients who have received Stelara have seen real benefits, so the SMC’s advice for its use in NHS Scotland is a welcome decision.”
Stelara is approved for use in NHS Scotland as a treatment option for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults who cannot use other systemic therapies including cyclosporin, methotrexate and psoralen and UVA treatment (PUVA).
The guidance also states that treatment with the drug should be discontinued in patients who do not achieve at least a 75% reduction in Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI 75) by week 16.