UK's NICE turns down GlaxoSmithKline's Revolade, as drugmaker and Neurocrine's antidepressant fails in Ph II

15 September 2010

UK pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (LSE: GSK) sustained a double dose of bad news yesterday, after the UK’ drugs watchdog the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) rejected approving the firm’s Revolade (eltrombopag) for use under the National Health in England and Wales because it is too expesnive, and its antidepressant drug candidate, under development with the USA’s Neurocrine Biosciences (Nasdaq: NBIX), failed in a Phase II study.

In draft guidance published by the NICE today yesterday, Revolade is not recommended for treating chronic immune (idiopathic) thrombocytopenic purpural (ITP) in splenectomised adults who do not respond to other treatments (for example, corticosteroids, immunoglobulins), or as a second-line treatment for non-splenectomised adults when surgery is not advised. Last year, the NICE also rejected Amgen’s rival drug Nplate (romiplostim) for the treatment of ITP on the NHS last year in preliminary guidance, though the appraisal for this drug is still ongoing.

Drug costs £104,100-£116,750 per QALY

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