SMC rejects Exubera for use in NHS Scotland
Pfizer's inhaled insulin Exubera has been rejected for use in NHS Scotland by the Scottish
Medicines Consortium. In its most recent
set of assessments, the SMC rejected the use of Exubera for patients
with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It said that the economic case had not
been demonstrated.
However, a number of diabetes treatments were accepted, including insulin
glulisine (Apidra), the pioglitazone/metformin combination Competact
for people with type 2 diabetes who cannot be treated with a sulphonylurea
in combination with metformin, and duloxetine (Cymbalta) for diabetic
peripheral neuropathic pain.
The SMC also accepted etanercept (Enbrel) subcutaneous injection 50mg
for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis and
rheumatoid arthritis. “The 50mg formulation facilitates once-weekly
administration of etanercept at no additional cost over the existing
25mg formulation that is administered twice weekly,” the consortium
concluded. In addition, the SMC accepted: tipranavir (Aptivus) in combination
with low-dose ritonavir for the treatment of
HIV-1 infection in highly pretreated adult patients with virus resistant
to multiple protease inhibitors; topiramate (Topomax) for prophylaxis
of migraine headache in adults; budesonide (Novolizer) inhaler for the
treatment of persistent asthma; and ibandronic acid (Bonviva) for the
treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, in order to reduce
the risk of vertebral fractures.
Submissions were rejected for bortezomib (Velcade) for progressive multiple
myeloma (as a monotherapy for patients who have received at least one
prior therapy and who have undergone or are unsuitable for bone marrow
transplantation) and nebivolol (Nebilet) for stable mild to moderate
chronic heart failure (in addition to standard therapies in patients
over 70 years of age). |
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