NRAS Welcomes NICE Guidance on Golimumab (Simponi) – New Anti-TNF treatment

In final guidance, published today (22 June), the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends golimumab (Simponi) as an option for treating rheumatoid arthritis in specific circumstances where previous treatments haven't worked.

Golimumab in combination with methotrexate is recommended for adults whose rheumatoid arthritis has responded inadequately to conventional disease-modifying anti rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) only, including methotrexate. In this case, golimumab is an option if it is used as described for other tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor treatments - adalimumab, etanercept and infliximab - covered by NICE technology appraisal 130, and the manufacturer provides the 100 mg dose of golimumab at the same cost as the 50 mg dose.

For adults whose rheumatoid arthritis has responded inadequately to other DMARDs, including a TNF inhibitor, golimumab in combination with methotrexate is also recommended as a treatment option. In this situation golimumab can be used only as described for other TNF inhibitor treatments in NICE technology appraisal guidance 195 (which covers the use of adalimumab, etanercept, infliximab, rituximab and abatacept after the failure of a TNF inhibitor), and the manufacturer provides the 100 mg dose of golimumab at the same cost as the 50 mg dose.

Please click here to read the final NICE Guidance.

For more information, please contact the NRAS Helpline.