UK's NICE recommends Takeda's Entyvio for Crohn's disease

The UK’s National Institute for health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended Entyvio (vedolizumab) from Takeda Pharmaceutical (TYO: 4502), Japan's largest drugmaker, for adults with moderate to severe Crohn’s disease who have either failed or were intolerant to an anti-TNF.

The NICE recommends vedolizumab, a 30-minute intravenous infusion given every eight weeks at a fixed dose of 300mg, and is the first gut-selective treatment for Crohn’s disease. It has particularly recognized the value of the therapy as a cost-effective treatment that provides remission from symptoms, when the annual UK cost per patient in relapse is estimated at £10,513 ($16,374).

Vedolizumab works selectively in the gut to help block the entry of white blood cells, reducing inflammation and associated symptoms.