NICE recommends Entyvio for severe Crohn's disease

A drug to treat Crohn’s disease has been recommended for routine National Health service funding in England by the medicine costs watchdog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), confirming a final Technology Appraisal Guidance (TAG) last month (The Pharma Letter June 5).

In final draft guidance, the NICE says Entyvio (vedolizumab) from Millennium Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Japan’s largest drugmaker Takeda Pharmaceutical (TYO: 4502), can be considered as an option to treat people with moderate to severely active Crohn’s disease when their disease has not responded well to previous treatments or their treatment has stopped working.

According to Carole Longson, director of the NICE Health Technology Evaluation Centre, “Crohn's disease is a long-term condition that causes inflammation of the wall of the digestive system. There are around 115,000 people living with the condition in the UK. Crohn's disease can affect people of all ages, including children. However, most cases first develop between the ages of 16 and 30. Common symptoms can include: diarrhea, abdominal pain, extreme tiredness and unintended weight loss.”