NICE issues guidance for AF, arthritis drugs
The U.K.'s NICE issued multiple guidances on Wednesday recommending use of drugs for rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis and atrial fibrillation (AF) that were in line with final appraisal determinations issued earlier this year. NICE recommended the use of Multaq dronedarone from sanofi-aventis Group (Euronext:SAN; NYSE:SNY) as second-line therapy for non-permanent atrial fibrillation in patients with additional cardiovascular factors.
NICE published two sets of guidance for RA. The first recommends five drugs to treat severe active RA in patients who had an inadequate response to, or are intolerant of, other DMARDs, including at least one TNF inhibitor. NICE reiterated its recommendation in favor of MabThera rituximab from Roche (SIX:ROG; OTCQX:RHHBY) in combination with methotrexate. The agency also backed Humira adalimumab, Enbrel etanercept, Remicade infliximab and Orencia abatacept in combination with methotrexate in patients unable to receive MabThera. Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE:BMY) markets Orencia, while Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) markets Humira. Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) and Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) market Enbrel, and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) and Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) market Remicade ...