Work programme for NICE announced
The ninth work programme of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence includes most of the treatments about which the Department of Health consulted earlier this year (PJ, 16 August, p200).
The treatments to be assessed are:
• adefovir dipivoxil for chronic hepatitis B
• erythropoetin for chemotherapy-induced
anaemia
• etanercept and infliximab for ankylosing spondylitis
• ximelagatran
for (a) treatment of venous thromboembolism and (b) prevention of stroke
after atrial fibrillation
• nesiritide for acute decompensated heart failure
• prasterone for systemic lupus erythematosus
• thrombophilia screening
in patients at risk of deep vein thrombosis
Clinics for assessing and
preventing falls and the use of HealOzone (ozone therapy) to treat
tooth decay will also be assessed.
In addition, the institute has been asked to produce clinical guidelines
on: the management of anaemia in renal failure; diabetes in pregnancy;
the diagnosis and treatment of breast and prostate cancer; puerperal/perinatal
mental health; the investigation and management of urinary tract infection
in children; and atrial fibrillation.
Investigations that were dropped after consultation included: inhaled
insulins; melagatran; natalizumab for multiple sclerosis; pegaptanib
for age-related macular degeneration; atrasentan for prostate cancer;
and cetuximab for head and neck cancer.
NICE has published 68 appraisals covering 99 drugs. |
