STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS SOCIETY  

NICE deals double blow for people with ankylosing spondylitis

The National Institute for Health & Clinical Excellence (NICE) will today deal a double blow to patients with severe ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in the UK when it announces that:

• it will only recommend two of the three treatments (adalimumab and etanercept) it has been reviewing for ankylosing spondylitis – rejecting the use of infliximab.
• AND that the two approved drugs cannot be used sequentially (i.e. you can’t switch from one to the other if you do not achieve an adequate response to treatment) despite the fact that many patients find this beneficial.

Jane Skerrett, Director of NASS, comments:

“NICE’s decision is devastating news for people living with severe ankylosing spondylitis. Essentially they are limiting people with AS to just one out of three potentially life changing treatments by refusing to approve one treatment and preventing people from switching to another treatment on the grounds of efficacy.

“The three drugs under review from NICE are the only real treatment options for people with severe AS. NICE is condemning people who fail on just one of these advanced therapies to treatment with NSAIDS  – drugs they  have already failed on - and a lifetime of pain and disability.  There is no alternative effective treatment for patients with severe AS: there are only these 3 drugs. NICE has effectively cut this to one.

“The NASS Council is meeting later this week to consider an appeal against the decision.

“If there is an appeal, NICE needs to act to ensure that the appeal process does not result in further delays in patients accessing the drugs they need to manage their condition. It is shocking that it has taken over 3 years for NICE to review these treatments (announcing AS as an area for review in September 2004) during which time many patients have been denied the treatments by their PCT, pending NICE’s decision. The approval of adalimumab and etanercept should remain in place while the appeal is heard.“