NRAS disappointed in announcement from NICE on Abatacept post DMARD failure

The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society is very disappointed with NICE's decision issued this week not to issue a positive Appraisal Consultation Document for the use of abatacept in rheumatoid arthritis patients who have failed to respond, or are intolerant to, methotrexate.

Some patients are unable to take an anti-TNF therapy because it is contra-indicated for some reason and there are also some who, for a number of reasons, it might be more appropriate to attend hospital for infusion-based therapy and Abatacept would be an option for this group of people. Abatcept is licenced for this indication, i.e. after failure of Disease Modifying Drugs such as Methotrexate, and it is important that clinicians and patients have a choice of biologic agents with different modes of action and routes of administration for use at different points in the patient pathway.

It is important to note the following:

The manufacturer and other consultees, including NRAS and the public, have until 20 April 2011 to comment on this draft guidance, and anyone can do so via the NICE website: www.nice.org.uk. Final guidance for this use of abatacept for rheumatoid arthritis is expected to be published later this year. Until then, NICE have advised that NHS bodies should make decisions locally on the funding of specific treatments. NICE has not yet issued final guidance to the NHS.

NRAS will be responding to NICE and if you are someone who is affected by this decision, please email ailsa@nras.org.uk with any relevant comments which could be included in our response.