BioCentury
ARTICLE | Company News

G-BA rebuffs BindRen

October 2, 2013 1:20 AM UTC

Germany's Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) said in a final benefit assessment that BindRen colestilan from Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp. (Tokyo:4508; Osaka:4508) has "no additional benefit" vs. sevelamer or calcium- or aluminum-containing phosphate binders to treat hyperphosphatemia in patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD) receiving hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. The European Commission approved BindRen for the indication in January. In a July preliminary assessment, Germany's Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Healthcare (IQWiG) said BindRen is worse than sevelamer to treat patients in whom a calcium- or aluminum-containing phosphate binder is contraindicated (see BioCentury Extra, July 1).

G-BA said that after legislation eliminating the requirement to use the lowest-cost comparator in assessments went into effect, it evaluated BindRen vs. sevelamer for BindRen's approved indication, rather than just the subpopulation of patients for whom other treatments are contraindicated (see BioCentury Extra, Aug. 12). ...