NICE rebuffs Simponi for psoriatic arthritis
The U.K.'s NICE issued a preliminary appraisal recommending against Simponi golimumab from Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) and Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) to treat active and progressive psoriatic arthritis in adults who have an inadequate response to previous DMARD therapy. NICE said Simponi was clinically effective vs. placebo but not as effective as Enbrel etanercept, based on a mixed treatment comparison. The agency also said Simponi's incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) would likely be higher than the company's estimate if the estimate included the cost of a 100 mg dose, the recommended dose for patients who weigh more than 100 kg. The appraisal also noted that there was uncertainty in the long-term adverse event profile of the drug. Comments are due by Oct. 27. ...