NICE now backs Forxiga for diabetes
The U.K.'s NICE issued a Forxiga dapagliflozin from Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE:BMY) and partner AstraZeneca plc (LSE:AZN; NYSE:AZN) as an add-on to metformin or insulin to treat Type II diabetes. Forxiga as an add-on to metformin is recommended according to current NICE guidelines for dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors. The FAD reverses preliminary draft guidance released in January in which NICE said it was unable to recommend Forxiga as an add-on therapy because of "significant uncertainty" with Bristol-Myer's meta-analyses and an inability to "adequately replicate" the economic model for Forxiga. Bristol-Myers submitted a revised economic model and meta-analyses on the clinical effectiveness of Forxiga compared to active comparators in combination therapies. The pharma did not submit a patient access scheme for Forxiga (see BioCentury, Jan. 31). ...