The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 272 No 7301 p664
29 May 2004

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News summary

NICE and ABPI agreement on data release

Agreement has been reached by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry on what company data should be made public during a NICE health technology appraisal.

Recommendations are based only on data made available to the institute but reviews suggest that other “confidential” data, which were not supplied, could have had an influence on the advice given.

The ABPI says that the data guidelines recognise the importance of putting relevant information into the public domain to ensure the credibility, clarity and comprehensiveness of NICE guidance, “while acknowledging that the rights of owners of data should be respected”. The guidelines set out principles and practical examples of what data should be made public and when.

Andrew Dillon, chief executive, NICE, said: “These guidelines are helpful in achieving consistency of approach by companies now, and they are a step towards our long-term goal of achieving unrestricted access to all relevant data.”