Severe rheumatoid arthritis therapy receives provisional UK recommendation

A potentially beneficial new treatment for severe rheumatoid arthritis has been recommended for NHS use in draft guidance from the UK's leading healthcare regulator.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued provisional guidelines that, if finalised, will mean thousands of people with severe forms rheumatoid arthritis will have a wider range of therapy options from which to choose.The new guidance The drug, certolizumab pegol, is also known under the brand name Cimzia and is already recommended by NICE for treating cases of severe rheumatoid arthritis that has not responded to intensive therapy with a combination of conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs).NICE's new guidance extends the number of people who can be considered for treatment by now recommending certolizumab pegol for use after anti-TNFs have already been tried, and when rituximab is not a viable option.Treatment with certolizumab pegol should be continued only if there is a moderate response after six months; if not, the drug should be withdrawn. The drug manufacturer's willingness to provide the therapy at a discounted rate through a patient access scheme also influenced the recommendation.Benefits for patients Currently, more than 400,000 people in England have rheumatoid arthritis, with about 15 per cent of these affected by the severe form of the disease. There is no cure for the disease, which can have a severe impact on quality of life, mea...
Source: Arthritis Research UK - Category: Rheumatology Source Type: news