This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
NICE approves new Crohn’s disease treatment
NICE has recommended patients with Crohn’s disease to have routine NHS access to ustekinumab, a drug which offers sufferers a new way of treating the condition.
Patients with moderate to severe Crohn’s disease will now be able to try a new treatment for the condition. NICE has recommended the drug as an option for treating the disease in adults who are intolerant to, or have had little or no response to, existing therapies.
Ustekinumab works differently to other existing treatments and has already been recommended by NICE as a treatment for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. It is a human monoclonal antibody treatment which binds to specific proteins on cells, stopping the production of cytokines which cause inflammation inside the body.
Professor Carole Longson, director of the health technology evaluation centre at NICE, said: “We are delighted to be able to recommend ustekinumab for routine NHS use. Crohn’s disease can have a debilitating impact on a person’s quality of life, from self-esteem through to experiencing regular relapses. Ustekinumab provides a convenient and viable option for patients with Crohn’s. It is a new way of treating the disease compared to conventional treatment, and can be used where other options have already been tried and stopped working.”
Sarah Berry, Health Policy & Public Affairs Officer from Crohn’s and Colitis UK, said: “We are delighted that NICE has recommended ustekinumab as a treatment option for adults with Crohn’s disease and has listened to and valued the evidence from patients through the appraisal process. The impact of uncontrolled symptoms of Crohn’s disease can be profoundly debilitating and current treatment options simply do not work for everyone. This ruling gives access to a desperately needed additional treatment to those who may otherwise have been condemned to living with unmanageable disease progression with devastating impact on their quality of life. We now look forward to people being able to access this treatment option as soon as possible."
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