In the UK NICE has recommended two anti-TNF treatments for ankylosing spondylitis, the painful and progressive rheumatic disease, but has excluded a third because of cost effectiveness.
Wyeth's Enbrel and Abbott's Humira were recommended by NICE, but it ruled that Schering-Plough's Remicade was too expensive for use on the NHS.
Enbrel and Humira can both be injected at home, and cost around £10,000 a year, but Remicade has to be given via a drip in hospital, pushing the cost above £15,000.
NICE says patients currently receiving Remicade, will be allowed to keep taking the drug until they and their clinicians decide it appropriate to stop, but no new AS patients should be given the drug.
Schering-Plough, along with the National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society, has been fighting the decision since last year when the initial decision was announced, but NICE has now issued its final ruling.
But after having their appeal rejected, Schering-Plough could be set to exploit a new avenue opened up by Eisai's battle with NICE over Alzheimer's drugs.
The Court of Appeal recently ruled that NICE must allow Eisai access to a previously confidential economic model.
In similar circumstances, Schering-Plough was not granted full access to the economic model used for the TNF drugs. It says it is disappointed that what it has seen of the economic modelling it finds 'highly unsatisfactory'.
Schering-Plough says that in the light of the Alzheimer's ruling, it will be writing to the NICE to request a fully-executable version of its model for review.
More at Pharmafocus
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