NICE has finalised its revised Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) guidance, recommending the treatment for some people in England and Wales suffering with rheumatoid arthritis.
The recommendation is another example of a negative NICE decision being reversed due to a patient access scheme agreed with the manufacturer.
In this case, UCB has agreed to provide the first 12 weeks of certolizumab pegol free for all patients starting treatment. The company also provided additional cost effectiveness data that influenced NICE’s decision.
Dr Carole Longson, Director, Health Technology Evaluation Centre, said: “The recommendations have been facilitated by the positive response of the manufacturer (UCB Pharma) in providing more detailed information on the clinical and cost effectiveness of its treatment, and by offering the patient access scheme. Rheumatoid arthritis can be very painful and consequently, very debilitating, so I am sure this decision will be welcomed by all those affected by the disease.”
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic 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.
Professor Peter Taylor, investigator and Professor in Experimental Rheumatology, Imperial College London NHS Trust, commented: “Certolizumab pegol has been shown to rapidly improve patients’ symptoms and to significantly reduce the rate of progression of joint damage associated with rheumatoid arthritis. This fast and lasting effect is important as it quickly improves function, reduces work disability and leads to a better quality of life for patients.”
Certolizumab pegol is a TNF (tumour necrosis factor) inhibitor, which is indicated in combination with methotrexate for the treatment of moderate to severe, active rheumatoid arthritis in adult patients, when the response to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) including methotrexate, has been inadequate.