Brilique first drug to gain post-AMNOG decision in Germany

The German health assessment body, the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA), has issued its final decision regarding the medical benefit of Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca’s (LSE: AZN) Brilique (ticagrelor, also marketed as Brilinta), giving the green light for the blood thinner, the first product to be reviewed under AMNOG (Arzneimittelmarkt-Neuordnungsgesetz), the new law that became effective January 1, 2011, for the mandatory pricing assessment for newly introduced drugs in the German health care system (The Pharma Letter October 5) .

AstraZeneca said this positive decision is in line with the preliminary assessment published by the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Healthcare (IQWiG) in October, with the addition of a new ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction/Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (STEMI/PCI) sub-group for patients over 75 years or patients with prior stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA).

The G-BA announced its final assessment of Brilique as follows: