Alcon’s Jetrea receives final NICE recommendation

Alcon has announced that its drug Jetrea has received a recommendation for NHS usage in finalised guidance issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

The regulator has endorsed the ThromboGenics-developed therapy as a clinically and cost-effective treatment option for eligible patients suffering from vitreomacular traction, including when associated with macular hole.

It becomes the first and only pharmacological treatment recommended for this sight-threatening eye condition in England and Wales, with its positive performance in clinical trials ensuring it was approved for sale by the European Commission in March 2013.

Vitreomacular traction with macular hole is a potentially serious age-related eye condition that can cause loss of vision and impaired quality of life.

Stuart Raetzman, area president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Alcon, said: "We work closely with doctors and healthcare providers to shape the future of eye care and offer solutions to address unmet patient needs."

Jetrea was released in the UK in April 2013, making it the first European nation in which the therapy was launched.