Novartis’ CNV Drug Lucentis Gets OK from NICE
The UK's cost containment agency, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), issued final draft guidance on 25 October 2013 recommending reimbursement for Novartis' Lucentis as a treatment option for choroidal neovascularisation (CNV).
CNV is characterized by the growth of new blood vessels at the back of the eye in people with a rare form of short-sightedness known as pathological myopia.
NICE's recommendation is qualified by the caveat that physicians should not prescribe the drug unless the company provides an agreed-upon discount known as a patient access scheme. Moreover, the guidance does not provide the opportunity for public comment and will be final unless an appeal of the recommendation is filed with NICE.
There are approximately 200,000 people with pathological myopia in the UK. It's not known how many people have CNV associated with pathological myopia in the UK. However, approximately 30% of people who develop CNV in one eye will develop it in the other eye within 8 years.