SMC accepts new medicines for NHS Scotland

The Scottish Medicines Consortium has announced it is to accept seven new medicines for use in NHS Scotland.

Two of these medicines, ofatumumab and idelalisib were considered under SMC’s PACE (Patient and Clinician Engagement) process, which aims to improve patient access to new medicines for the treatment of end of life and very rare conditions.

Professor Jonathan Fox, Chairman of SMC, said: “SMC is pleased to be able to accept these new medicines which will benefit patients with a variety of conditions.

“Two of these medicines were considered under our PACE process, which allows us to apply greater flexibility in our decision making.

“It is now a year since we first introduced a range of new processes and the hard work of all those involved is beginning to show benefits for patients across Scotland through improved access to effective new medicines.”

Ofatumumab is used in combination with another cancer medicine to treat chronic lymphocytic leukaemia in previously untreated patients who cannot receive therapy based on fludarabine.

It also gives clinicians a wider choice and the ability to tailor therapy to individual patients.

Idelalisib, which was also considered under the PACE process, is the first of a new class of medicines to treat patients with follicular lymphoma who have not responded to two previous courses of treatment.

As idelalisib is an oral preparation which can be taken at home, it also offers benefits to patients, carers and NHS Scotland as fewer clinic visits are required.

SMC also accepted Vedolizumab, used to treat moderate to severe active ulcerative colitis in adult patients of which there is no cure, and dexamethasone, used for the treatment of diabetic macular oedema.

For the treatment of autoimmune hepatitis in patients who do not have severe liver disease, Budesonide was accepted, whilst two medicines used to treat type 2 diabetes, liraglutide and linagliptin, were also welcomed.