England’s NICE recommends Lundbeck’s Brintellix for major depressive episodes

In final draft guidance issued today, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the medicines watchdog for England and Wales, has recommended Danish CNS specialist Lundbeck’s (LUN: CO) Brintellix (vortioxetine) for some adults with major depressive disorder. The positive recommendation follows the submission of further evidence from the company that NICE requested in its previous draft guidance.

Earlier this year, the NICE Appraisal Committee concluded that there was no convincing evidence to show that vortioxetine was any more or less effective than other antidepressants. They also felt the company had not sufficiently defined how vortioxetine would be used in the NHS, or reflected its potential position, within its economic model, and the Institute called for more data from Lundbeck (The Pharma Letter June 10).

Major depressive disorder is relatively common, affecting an estimated 5% to 10% of people seen in primary care, 10% to 14% of medical inpatients and up to 15% of older people.

Decision swayed by new data

NICE Health Technology Evaluation Centre director Carole Longson commented: “The Committee acknowledged that having access to a range of treatments is important for people with major depressive disorder. Following publication of the previous draft guidance on vortioxetine the company submitted further evidence on its use for adults who had not tolerated, or whose major depressive episode had not responded to two previous antidepressants. The Committee concluded from this evidence that vortioxetine’s effectiveness was comparable with that of other third-line antidepressants and that vortioxetine could be recommended as a cost effective option for treating major depressive episodes in adults whose condition has responded inadequately to two antidepressants within the current episode.”