NICE approves treatment for psoriasis using new fast-track process

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has used a new pilot to approve a drug for severe plaque psoriasis, in a bid to speed up the approval process for certain medicines.

The approval of bimekizumab, made by UCB Pharma, comes after NICE was looking to find new ways to develop and publish guidance following the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.  

NICE has now released a new approach to the cost comparison fast track appraisal process and is piloting it throughout the summer for the review of selected low-risk appraisals.

The pilot programme works by using a subset of the appraisal committee to assess low-risk treatments, comparing them to similar therapies that have already been appraised by NICE. This sub-committee is then able to make a recommendation without requiring a full committee meeting.

After an initial recommendation has been made, the guidance is then considered by the entire committee ahead of its release, and a full meeting can be scheduled if any concerns arise. NICE has stated that the pilot process does not impact the standard governance or appeal processes.

UCB Pharma’s bimekizumab is the first product to have used the new process. The drug is an alternative to other biological treatments already recommended by NICE for treating severe plaque psoriasis in adults.

Clinical trial evidence shows bimekizumab to be more effective at treating the condition than three comparators, which were all previously approved by NICE. The cost-effectiveness estimates are also in line with what is considered to be an acceptable use of NHS resources, so bimekizumab is recommended. It’s thought that nearly 18,000 people will be eligible for the treatment.

Meindert Boysen, director of the Centre for Health and Technology Evaluation at NICE, said: “The urgency of the pandemic led to necessary changes to the way NICE prioritised guidance production throughout 2020. As part of our 2021 review into the health technology evaluation process, we are taking this opportunity to introduce new measures to address the impact of the pandemic, including this pilot programme for a limited fast-tracked process.

“Although our review is still underway, we are pleased to have been able to pilot this new approach to committee decision making to recommend bimekizumab as a treatment option for severe plaque psoriasis.

“It is our hope that we will continue to be able to follow this new process for eligible low-risk appraisals, and release capacity within our committees and the technology evaluation team.”

Victoria Barrett, head of HTA & Market Access Policy, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, said: “This new approach to ensure some NICE decisions are made in a more efficient way is good news, especially for the patients that stand to benefit. It is important that NICE and its committees have sufficient capacity to issue timely guidance to the NHS, and this is one way to help, given the success of the pilot exercise.”