Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer’s Eliquis receives NICE backing

Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer have received a recommendation for their drug Eliquis in provisional guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

Final draft guidance has been published by the regulator endorsing the drug as an option for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) among adult patients who have undergone planned total hip replacement or knee replacement surgery.

This verdict comes only six months after the apixaban therapy received its licence, with the fast-tracked appraisal reflecting the efficacy of the drug and the unmet need for new options in this field.

During 2010, around 120,000 patients received hip and knee replacements in England and Wales, with each of these operations carrying a high risk of VTE.

Professor Carole Longson, NICE health technology evaluation centre director, said: "The committee was satisfied that apixaban is a clinically and cost effective option for preventing blood clots, alongside other effective treatments already recommended by NICE."

This comes after Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer reported positive data from clinical trials supporting the efficacy of Eliquis at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in August 2011.