Arthritis drugs approved for NHS use
Wednesday, 22 Aug 2007 12:01
The availability of the drugs has been described as "good news"
People suffering from arthritis have been given new hope today after the government's medicines regulator recommended two drugs be provided on the NHS to treat the condition.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has advised that rituximab (Mabthera) in combination with methotrexate is given to adults with severe active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have not responded to or who are intolerant of other anti-rheumatic drugs.
People suffering from active and progressive psoriatic arthritis with three or more tender and swollen joints can now receive adalimumab (Humira) on the NHS.
Approximately one per cent of the population suffer from one of these forms of arthritis, which can be extremely painful and distressing and effects sufferers' ability to carry out daily activities.
RA affects three times as many women as men and has a peak age of onset of 40-70 years.
Nice's decision follows an economic analysis of the drugs, concluding that "these drugs represent the right approach for the NHS to take in the treatment of two severe forms of arthritis".
"The approval of both of these drugs is good news for anyone suffering from rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis," said Andrew Dillon, Nice executive lead for the appraisal.
"By recommending the use of these drugs, people in England and Wales with these conditions can be reassured that they have access to effective treatments when they need them."
Neil Betteridge, chief executive of the charity Arthritis Care, described Nice's decision as a "triumph".
"The search for effective treatment can be a long, agonising journey, littered with dashed hopes," he added. "Now there's no excuse to deny this drug on anything but clinical grounds."
Arthritis Research Campaign spokeswoman Jane Tadman commented: "This gives patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis who fail on anti-TNF therapy a life-line by making available another treatment option."