Novartis and Roche get NICE rejections

5 December 2017

There was disappointing news today for Swiss pharma giants Novartis (NOVN: VX) and Roche (ROG: SIX) when the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published draft guidance on technology appraisals turning down drugs from the companies for regular use on the National Health Service (NHS).

The medicines cost-effectiveness watchdog announced that tocilizumab, marketed by Roche under the brand name RoActemra in Europe, is not recommended to treat giant cell arteritis (GCA).

The committee concluded that there were substantial uncertainties in the evidence about how long patients would have to take the treatment and what the long-term benefits were.

The cost effectiveness estimate for tocilizumab was significantly higher than the range normally considered acceptable for use in the NHS.

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