http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/220641.phpDraft NICE Guidance Does Not Recommend Abatacept For Second-line Use In Rheumatoid Arthritis - The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has today (30 March 2011) opened a consultation on draft guidance which
does not recommend abatacept (Orencia, Bristol-Myers Squibb), in combination with methotrexate, for the treatment of moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis in adults whose disease has responded inadequately to one or more conventional non-biological disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) including methotrexate (more...)"Sir Andrew Dillon, NICE Chief Executive, said: "We recognise that rheumatoid arthritis can be an extremely debilitating condition, and that patients need a range of options if their disease does not respond adequately to first-line treatment. We currently recommend seven biological treatments, including abatacept, for use at various points in the pathway, once conventional DMARDs have been tried. Unfortunately, the evidence available to the committee did not support the use of abatacept as a second-line treatment option."
"The manufacturer and other consultees,
including the public, have until 20 April 2011 to comment on this draft guidance, and can do so via the NICE website. Any feedback received during this consultation will be considered by the committee and, following their next meeting, the next version of draft guidance will be issued."
Source: NICE
View drug information on Orencia.
