NICE backs expanding use of Ofev in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

UK health technology assessor the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued final draft guidance recommending Ofev (nintedanib) for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in adults with a forced vital capacity (FVC) above 80% predicted.

Published today, this positive recommendation means that patients will be eligible for nintedanib treatment earlier in the course of their disease, without having to wait for their lung function to irreversibly decline to FVC 80% predicted, says German family-owned pharma major Boehringer Ingelheim. Ofev is already an important product for the company, bringing in revenues of $1.5 billion in the first half of this year.

The appraisal for nintedanib in IPF with FVC over 80% predicted followed a new accelerated process, piloted under the NICE’s Proportionate Approach to Technology Appraisals. Nintedanib is already recommended by the NICE for use in adult IPF patients with a FVC between 50% and 80% predicted.