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NRAS welcomes final NICE guidance on RoActemra - widening access to Biologic Therapies in Rheumatoid Arthritis

On Wednesday 25th August, NICE issued final guidance on Tocilizumab.  The Guidance states that Tocilizumab, (RoActemra) in combination with methotrexate, is recommended for the treatment of moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis More...

NICE issues Final Guidance on biologic therapy options post TNF failure

Adalimumab, etanercept, infliximab, rituximab and abatacept for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis after the failure of a TNF inhibitor. More...

New data reveal first predictive biomarkers to tailor rheumatoid arthritis therapy

New research presented at the British Society of Rheumatology (BSR) annual conference in Birmingham during April 2010 has confirmed what has been known anecdotally through clinical experience. More...

80% of rheumatoid arthritis patients in Scotland say fatigue is biggest barrier to employment: NRAS survey reveals

The largest ever survey of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients of working age in Scotland has revealed that the severe fatigue caused by the disease is the largest barrier to people staying in employment, with over 80% citing it as a factor. More...

Public Accounts Committee Press Release

The Public Accounts Committee has released a report on services for people with rheumatoid arthritis. More...

Gordon Brown receives prescription promise ‘wake-up call’

People across England will be joining forces to demonstrate their outrage at Gordon Brown's failure to act on his promise to abolish prescription charges for people with long-term conditions, by taking part in a simultaneous ‘wake-up phone call’ to No 10. More...

NICE Approves New Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis

NICE Approves New Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Treatment Cimzia® (certolizumab pegol) With First of Its Kind RA Patient Access Scheme. More...

Size of vital highland medical facility to be reduced by a third

HIGHLANDS and Islands MSP Dave Thompson was horrified this week to discover that NHS Highland had decided to remove almost a third of the beds from a unit for patients being treated for arthritis and rheumatology. Since becoming aware of the threat to the Highland Rheumatology Unit (HRU) in Dingwall last year, Mr Thompson has lobbied senior managers at NHS Highland to argue the case for the retention of the busy unit in Dingwall. More...

NICE have once again said 'no' to the use of Tocilizumab in the NHS

NRAS Statement in regard to NICE decision on Tocilizumab.
The NRAS are devastated to learn that NICE have once again said ‘no’ to the use of Tocilizumab in the NHS. This is indeed a bitter blow for patients who have failed on Anti-TNF, particularly those who have sero-negative RA and for whom the only other biologic drug option, Rituximab, may not be suitable. More...

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