UK’s NICE backs second indication for Bayer’s Eylea

UK drugs watchdog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has today announced that Germany-based Bayer’s (BAYN: DE) Eylea  (aflibercept solution for intravitreal injection should be recommended as a treatment option for visual impairment due to macular edema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO).

This draft Final Appraisal Determinationrecommendation marks the second indication for Eylea that has received a draft FAD, without the need for additional consolation. Guidance is expected to be made final in the first quarter of 2014, from which date National Health Servicer bodies will have 90 days to ensure Eylea is made available to all eligible patients.

Ian Pearce, consultant ophthalmologist, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, commented: “This decision is great news and will be welcomed by patients and ophthalmologists alike. CRVO can be a debilitating disease that affects the central vision, meaning patients can no longer read, watch the television, drive or prepare meals. This puts a massive strain on them as well as their family and that is why it is important to have a choice of proven, effective treatment options available.”