Janssen’s Olysio recommended in draft NICE guidance

Janssen's simeprevir-based hepatitis C drug Olysio has been recommended in final draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

The drug has been recommended for NHS use in combination with peginterferon alfa and ribavirin, as an option for treating both genotypes 1 and 4 chronic hepatitis C in adults. It is  administered orally and works by inhibiting the replication of the hepatitis C virus.

Previous draft guidance from NICE did not recommend this therapy for treating genotype 4 chronic hepatitis C, but the UK regulator has reversed its stance after Janssen provided additional information supporting the application.

Genotype 1 hepatitis C is the most common type of chronic hepatitis C in England, accounting for around 46 percent of diagnoses, with genotype 4 comprising a further four percent.

Professor Carole Longson, director of the NICE Centre for Health Technology Evaluation, said the evidence Janssen has supplied led its independent appraisal committee to conclude Olysio "is a cost-effective treatment option for people with genotypes 1 and 4 chronic hepatitis C".

The drug was approved for use in this indication by the European Commission last May.