UK's NICE gives final guidance on Esbriet, Orencia and Xolair

UK drugs watchdog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has today (April 24) published four new technology appraisals. No appeals were received against the final draft guidance on these technologies therefore the recommendations have not changed and the guidance is now being issued to the National Health Service.

Among these, the NICE recommends US biotech firm InterMune’s (Nasdaq: ITMN) Esbriet (pirfenidone) for certain people who have the chronic lung condition, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

In its final guidance, the NICE recommends pirfenidone as a treatment option across the NHS for people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis who have a forced vital capacity (FVC) between 50% and 80% predicted – FVC is the amount of air which can be forcibly exhaled from the lungs after taking the deepest breath possible. The NICE estimates that around 6,800 people in England and Wales with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis could be eligible for treatment in line with its recommendations.