Hepatitis B treatment approved in latest round of SMC appraisals
Hepatitis B treatment telbivudine (Sebivo) has been approved for use within NHS Scotland in the latest series of appraisals by the Scottish Medicines Consortium. Telbivudine may be used for the treatment of adult patients with chronic hepatitis B infection, in line with the product’s licensed indications.
The SMC has also approved the use of fondaparinux sodium (Arixtra) 2.5mg/0.5ml prefilled syringe for treatment of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction for patients who are managed with thrombolytics or who initially are to receive no other reperfusion therapy.
Following a series of resubmissions, levetiracetam (Keppra) is now accepted for use in Scotland as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of myoclonic seizures for patients older than 12 years with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy; as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of primary generalised tonic-clonic seizures for patients older than 12 years with generalised idiopathic epilepsy; and as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of partial onset seizures with or without secondary generalisation for children from four years of age with epilepsy.
Levetiracetam is also now accepted as monotherapy in the treatment of partial onset seizures with or without secondary generalisation for patients from 16 years of age with newly diagnosed epilepsy. However, because of its cost, its use is restricted to patients for whom the range of drugs normally used for first-line treatment is ineffective or unsuitable.
The following new presentations of existing products have been given the green light: losartan/hydrochlorothiazide (Cozaar-Comp) 100mg/25mg tablets; mesalazine (Asacol MR) 800mg modified-release tablets; and valsartan (Diovan) 320mg tablets.
The SMC has again rejected pemetrexed (Alimta) as monotherapy for patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer after previous chemotherapy. Its use was turned down on economic grounds following a resubmission. Glyceryl trinitrate rectal ointment (Rectogesic) is also not recommended for clinical and economic reasons following a resubmission.
Clobetasol propionate shampoo (Etrivex) has been rejected for the topical treatment of moderate scalp psoriasis because, the SMC says, clinical equivalence to existing clobetasol propionate formulations has not been demonstrated.
Colesevelam hydrochloride (Cholestagel) and trabectedin (Yondelis) are currently not recommended because the products’ manufacturers have yet to submit evidence to the consortium.
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