UK’s NICE backs Lundbeck drug for alcohol dependence

In new draft guidance, the UK drug watchdog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said today that Danish CNS drug specialist Lundbeck’s (LUND: CO) Selincro (nalmefene) should be available as an option for those who are heavy drinkers but not those who require immediate detoxification.

Almost 600,000 people who are dependent on alcohol should have access to nalmefene to support them in their struggle against alcohol addiction, NICE noted. Nalmefene is taken as a tablet once a day and reduces the craving for alcohol in those who have become dependent.

The new draft guidance recommends that nalmefene should be prescribed alongside continuous psychosocial support to help reduce alcohol consumption in line with its marketing authority. This draft guidance has now been issued for consultation; NICE has not yet published final guidance to the NHS.

Sales forecast

Selincro, which was developed with Finland-based Biotie (Nasdaq-OMX), was  approved by the European Commission more than a year ago. At that time, analysts predicting that the drug could make upwards of $250 million a year at peak.