Britain's healthcare cost watchdog said it was unable to recommend use of Bristol-Myers Squibb's schizophrenia drug Abilify in children aged 15 to 17 and has asked for more information on its effectiveness.
In a statement issued on Friday, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) said it did not have enough data on the clinical and cost effectiveness of the drug, which is known generically as aripiprazole and sold by BMS and Otsuka Pharmaceuticals.
NICE advises the British government on which drugs and treatments should be paid for and offered by the state-funded National Health System (NHS).
via uk.reuters.com
2 comments:
Is it generally true that NICE is more conservative on drug approval than the U.S. FDA? I mean, the FDA approved Abilify for autistic children age 6-17. (I don't know whether the FDA approved Abilify for schizophrenia in adolescents.) Just makes me wonder. In the Netherlands, Abilify is approved for schizophrenia and mania in adults and I think adolsecentns 15-17.
Seeing as these 2nd generation atypical antipsychotics seem to cause brain damage, I'm comforted that this drug may not be on the menu for teens. Have you read Joanna Moncrieff's book, "The Myth of the Chemical Cure"?... chilling stuff...
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