Shire appeals against “distressing” NICE Alzheimer’s decision

Shire Pharmaceuticals has today announced it has launched an appeal against the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence’s (NICE ) final appraisal determination (FAD) for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Last month, NICE concluded that acetylcholinesterase inhibitors should not be prescribed on the NHS to patients who have been newly diagnosed with mild AD – a decision described by the Alzheimer’s Society as “disgraceful” and “unacceptable”.

Representatives from Shire, Pfizer, Novartis, Lundbeck and Eisai, which all manufacture drugs for the treatment of AD, met with the Alzheimer’s Society to discuss a response to the ruling earlier this month.

Shire, Britain’s third-largest pharmaceutical company, markets Reminyl and Reminyl XL, which NICE has acknowledged as being clinically effective, according to the company.

John Freeman, Shire’s managing director, stated: “These drugs are the only licensed drug treatments for mild to moderately severe Alzheimer’s disease.”

“NICE’s recommendation will deny new mild patients from accessing drug treatments on the NHS to alleviate their symptoms for this irreversible condition. Such a move will be particularly distressing for patients and their carers,” he added.

The Alzheimer’s Society picketed the Department of Health two weeks ago in protest of the ruling, which it said would result in “destroying lives” for the sake of 2.50 pounds a day in treatment costs.

It has enlisted celebrity support and is holding a “National Day of Action” on June 27th to lobby politicians and increase awareness of the NICE decision.

NICE said its FAD was based on analyses of drug and cost effectiveness.

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