Coronavirus treatments collide with UK reimbursement process

In a draft recommendation, the UK’s reimbursement agency has found in favor of three COVID-19 treatments, while sidelining several others.

The agency said Pfizer’s (NYSE: PFE) super-blockbuster antiviral Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir) met requirements of cost-effectiveness, as did RoActemra (tocilizumab), from Roche (ROG: SIX), and Olumiant (baricitinib), from Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY).

Commenting on the products that did not make the cut, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said it “stands ready to work with companies and NHS England to look for solutions during the public consultation.”