UK NICE to hold oral appeal hearing for Ferring's Firmagon

18 June 2014

Privately-held Switzerland-headquartered drugmaker Ferring Pharmaceuticals confirmed today that its drug Firmagon (degarelix) will be the subject of an appeal hearing by UK health care watchdog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on June 25.

NICE issued its Final Appraisal Determination (FAD) in April, recommending Firmagon as an option for treating advanced hormone-dependent prostate cancer in adults with spinal metastases who present with signs or symptoms of spinal cord compression. Ferring and a number of organizations within the health care and patient community have expressed their concerns over the FAD and the restrictive guidance being proposed.

Ferring UK general manager Steven Howson commented: “We welcome NICE’s decision to conduct an oral appeal hearing. We believe that it is vital that the right patients have access to this important treatment and that health care professionals are given clear guidance on its appropriate use.”

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