NICE okays ezetimibe for hypercholesterolemia

The UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended pharma giant Merck & Co’s (NYSE: MRK) ezetimibe (Ezetrol) to treat hypercholesterolemia.

The cost-effectiveness watchdog has also recommended ezetimibe in combination with initial statin therapy as an option when cholesterol concentration is not appropriately controlled after the dose of the statin has been increased, or where a person is unable to have higher doses of the statin because it is likely to cause side effects, and a change to an alternative statin is being considered.

Meindert Boysen, technology appraisals program director at NICE, said: “After considering comments received at consultation, the committee decided that the populations in NICE’s original technology appraisal guidance on ezetimibe were better aligned with the final NICE scope for the review, ezetimibe’s marketing authorization and current practice. The committee considered that the clinical effectiveness of ezetimibe using the updated evidence base was consistent with that in the original guidance. Taking both of these factors into consideration, the committee believed that the cost-effectiveness estimates from NICE’s original guidance on ezetimibe were more plausible than the current estimates. The committee therefore concluded that the recommendations in NICE’s original technology appraisal guidance on ezetimibe are still appropriate.”