Shire welcomes judicial review date on Alzheimer’s drugs

Shire has announced its support for the setting of an early date for the High Court judicial review of the decision by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to reject the use of medication on the NHS during the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

The review has been set for June 25th 2007, the first permissible date allowed, with proceedings forecast to last for up to four days.

NICE must file its evidence for the case by the start of that month, with Shire and other involved parties providing a response to this evidence by 11th June.

John Freeman, managing director of UK commercial operations at Shire, said: “By arranging the hearing for the first possible date, James Goudie QC has acknowledged the importance and urgency of this matter to the general public and to the many thousands who will be diagnosed with Alzheimer?s disease of mild severity this year.”

He added that the firm wholly agreed with the three grounds set out for the judicial review – procedural fairness, irrationality of assumptions and discrimination against patient groups – and would act as an interested party during the review to support those affected by the decision.

Last week, Eisai welcomed the fast-tracking of the judicial review, while adding that patients in the early, milder stages of Alzheimer’s disease should be given access to treatment as soon as possible to prevent irreversible deterioration in their condition.