Nice drug decisions
Friday, 02 May 2008 10:52
Nice must be more transparent in its cost analyses
The body that decides which drugs should be made available on the NHS has been ordered to be more transparent about how it reaches its decisions.
After a dispute between the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) and a number of drugs companies, the Court of Appeal decided that the cost/benefit analysis of drugs should be disclosed.
In 2005 Nice ruled four drug treatments licensed for Alzheimer's disease (Aricept, Exelon, Reminyl and Ebixa) should no longer be funded by the NHS.
It acknowledged that the drugs were clinically effective, but stated that they were not cost effective.
Following anger from patients, charities and manufacturers Nice changed its position to allow only people only in the moderate stages of the disease access to drug treatments.
An unsuccessful appeal to an internal review about the decision led to Pfizer/Eisai, manufacturer of Aricept, seeking a judicial review.
After reviewing the case, Lord Justice Richards said Nice should release full details about its cost analysis model for "procedural fairness".
"It is true that there is already a remarkable degree of disclosure and of transparency in the consultation process," he added.
"But… the refusal to release the fully executable version of the model [places] consultees at a significant disadvantage in challenging the reliability of the model."
Charities and manufacturers have welcomed the decision, but Nice warned that it could lead to lengthier drug appraisals.
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