NICE okays UCB’s Cimzia, nixes Almirall’s Ilumetri, in psoriasis
Pharmaphorum Media Limited | December 05, 2018
NICE has recommended in draft guidance that UCB’s Cimzia can receive regular NHS funding for plaque psoriasis, but decided that Almirall’s rival Ilumetri does not represent good value for money. Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) was approved in Europe in the new indication of plaque psoriasis earlier this year, adding to a list of uses including rheumatoid arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis, and psoriatic arthritis. While there are a number of other anti-TNF drugs approved in psoriasis, including AbbVie’s Humira and biosimilars, Cimzia is the first in the class that can be taken by women during pregnancy and lactation.
Meanwhile, Almirall’s Ilumetri (tildrakizumab) was approved in Europe in September as a subcutaneous injection offering a patient-friendly quarterly dosing schedule, as opposed to fortnightly and sometimes monthly dosing for Cimzia injections. In its draft guidance, NICE said Cimzia, which costs around £6,793 per patient, is cost-effective and can be used when patients have not responded to other systemic therapies such as phototherapy, methotrexate, and cyclosporine, or if these treatments are not suitable.