Alexion falls on delayed U.K. reimbursement decision

Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:ALXN) fell $4.44 to $92.96 on Wednesday after it said the U.K. Ministers of Health deferred a decision to cover Soliris eculizumab on the NHS for atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS). According to the company, the ministers overruled a positive recommendation to cover the drug from the Advisory Group for National Specialised Services (AGNSS), which was previously tasked with assessing high-cost drugs for rare conditions.

Alexion said a reimbursement decision on Soliris in the U.K. will be deferred until NICE begins assessing high-cost drugs for rare conditions during the next fiscal year, which begins in April 2013. The company said there is no definite time frame for when a reimbursement decision is expected. AGNSS was disbanded last year as a result of NHS's restructuring following the enactment of the Health and Social Care Act. ...