UK's NICE recommends Roche's PegaSys

Swiss drug major Roche says that its PegaSys (peginterferon alfa-2a) has been recommended as a first-line treatment for hepatitis C by the UK's National Institute of Health Clinical Excellence (NICE).

The NICE, which is the government department responsible for assessing the safety and efficacy of new medical technologies for use in the National Health Service in England and Wales, advises the use of the agent against chronic forms of the disease (HBeAg-positive or HBeAg-negative). PegaSys is the first and only pegylated interferon for HBV and was approved in Europe earlier this month.