Eli Lilly's IL-17A inhibitor Taltz is approved by NICE in the UK for the treatment of axial spondyloarthritis

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The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recently released a final assessment document (FAD) recommending Eli Lilly’s anti-inflammatory drug Taltz (ixekizumab) for the treatment of active axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA)

NICE only recommends the use of Taltz when tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors are inappropriate or cannot control the disease well

The main clinical evidence supporting this recommendation comes from 3 placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials (COAST-V, COAST-W, COAST-X).

In these trials, patients treated with Taltz had statistically and clinically significant improvements in symptoms and signs of axSPA compared with placebo

NICE also used direct evidence from the COAST trial to determine the cost-effectiveness estimate of Taltz compared to traditional therapies, within the range that the agency generally believes to be a cost-effective use of NHS resources

Jyun Yan Yang, Senior Medical Director of Eli Lilly and Company in the UK and Northern Europe, said: “Many patients with axSpA have chronic back pain and related dysfunctions, which have a detrimental effect on their quality of life

axSpA is a disease that mainly affects the sacroiliac joints and spine, causing chronic inflammatory back pain and fatigue

Taltz is an IL-17A inhibitor.

Up to now, Taltz has been approved for 4 indications: (1) plaque psoriasis (children and adult patients 6 years and older); (2) psoriatic arthritis (adult patients); (3) AS ( Adult patients); (4) nr-axSpA (adult patients)

Reference source: NICE backs Lilly's Taltz for axial spondyloarthritis