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Publication Date: 23 June 2011
Responding to the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence’s final draft guidance on the use of abatacept, Federico Moscogiuri, Arthritis Care’s head of policy and campaigns, said: ‘This decision is very disappointing as it limits choice for people with severe rheumatoid arthritis.
'Drugs currently available for treating rheumatoid arthritis simply do not work for everyone. For those most affected by this disease, having access to the widest range of treatment options will give them the best chance of stopping this potentially disabling condition in its tracks.’
This final draft guidance also appears to represent an inconsistency in NICE’s position on the use of this abatacept. A previous NICE guidance decision (TA 195, August 2010) has recommended use of abatacept in circumstances when other treatments (i.e. rituximab) fail, yet this decision refuses the option of using abatacept at a slightly earlier stage in the treatment pathway.
Anyone with questions about arthritis or treatments can call the Arthritis Care Helpline free on 0808 800 4050 or email Helplines@arthritiscare.org.uk
