NICE rejects Alzeheimer’s disease drug appeal

NICE has decided not to uphold complaints made regarding its ruling not to approve certain Alzheimer’s disease drugs for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.

In a ruling objected to by several pharmaceutical companies and charities – including Shire and Eisai, as well as the Alzheimer’s Society – the regulator decided that there was not enough evidence to suggest the drugs in question, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, had enough of an effect to justify their availability on the NHS.

Andrew Dillon, chief executive of NICE, defended his organisation, although he admitted that the appeal ruling would be “disappointing” to Alzheimer’s disease patients and their carers.

“But we have to be honest and say that based on all the evidence, including data presented by the drug companies themselves, our experts have concluded that these drugs do not make enough of a difference for us to recommend their use for treating all stages of Alzheimer?s disease,” he stated.

Mr Dillon added that NICE would be working with the Social Care Institute for Excellence to produce a clinical guideline for treating people with dementia, making it clear how people with Alzheimer’s disease should be best treated.

In July, Eisai’s UK subsidiary appealed to the Information Commissioner to find out how NICE’s cost effectiveness calculations concluded that its Alzheimer’s disease drug, Aricept, would not be worth prescribing on the NHS for the mild stages of the disease.

Dr Paul Hooper, managing director of Eisai UK, commented: “It is disgraceful that NICE are using economic models which they refuse to make available for scrutiny by others.”