NICE recommends Janssen psoriasis drug that showed superiority to Humira

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued a final appraisal determination (FAD) recommending that Tremfya (guselkumab) be provided on the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) for patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.

As part of the fast track appraisal procedure, the NICE issued a FAD rather than an appraisal consultation document, speeding up the process by which eligible patients are able to access the drug, which is the first biologic to selectively target interleukin (IL)-23, a key protein involved in the immune inflammatory response in psoriasis.

The NICE FAD was fast-tracked following European Commission approval in November last year, based on the Phase III trials, VOYAGE 1 and VOYAGE 2. These compared the Janssen treatment with placebo and the big-selling AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) drug Humira (adalimumab).