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 in people whose rheumatoid arthritis has responded inadequately to one or more tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) inhibitors and:

• whose rheumatoid arthritis has responded inadequately to rituximab or
• in whom rituximab is contraindicated or when rituximab is withdrawn because of an adverse effect. 

This Final Guidance reverses the result of an earlier NICE appraisal and added to the guidance issued on Friday 26th June in regard to sequential use of Anti-TNF therapies and Abatacept (Orenzia), allows greater access to a range of biologic therapies which NRAS have been strenuously campaigning for, for a long period of time.

NRAS is delighted at this final guidance as it will enable many people to continue to have access to biologic therapies instead of having no option but to return to DMARDS on which they have failed with continued use of steroids. However, it is worth noting that this  guidance for England & Wales in regard to Tocilizumab is more restrictive than the guidance issued by the Scottish Medicines Consortium for people with RA in Scotland, where the drug can be given to people who fail to respond to DMARDs or Anti-TNF agents, i.e. it can be given prior to Rituximab.

NICE have finally acknowledged that access to biologic therapies with different modes of action is crucial to enable people to remain in control of their disease and leading active, productive lives.

Ailsa Bosworth, CEO of NRAS said “As an expert patient working on the NICE Technology Appraisal throughout this process to represent the needs of people with RA, I am very pleased at this outcome. It’s been a long battle but it makes economic sense because it will enable people to remain independent and working, and gives patients and clinicians more choice and control over management of their disease which is what we need.”

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About NRAS:

• The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) was launched in October 2001 and in a relatively short time has become established as the campaigning voice in the UK for people with Rheumatoid Arthritis.
• NRAS provides a total one-stop-shop with support, information and advocacy for all people in the UK with RA, their carers and families.
• NRAS has a national volunteer network, a group of people with the disease who provide peer to peer support and provide additional resource to help NRAS in many different ways.

Case studies are available

For more information, please contact:
Ailsa Bosworth, CEO, National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society
Tel: 0845 458 3969

Louise Abbott, Insight PR
louise@insightpa.com, Tel: 07812 576831