NICE supports AbbVie's Rinvoq treatment for rheumatoid arthritis

THE National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended AbbVie's Upadacitinib to patients with severe active rheumatoid arthritis (RA).NICE guidelines recommend that AbbVie's JAK inhibitors be used in combination with methotrexate in patients with severe active RA if their disease is not responding enough to the drug or is insensitive to at least two conventional disease-changing anti-rheumatoid drugs.Currently, around 400,000 people in the UK suffer from
activity rheumatoid arthritis
, an autoimmune disease whose immune system attacks the endometrium of the joints. This can lead to inflammation and symptoms such as pain, fatigue and stiffness.Rheumatoid arthritis is a complex autoimmune disease that can affect people in different ways. So treatment can't be a one-of-a-kind approach," said Clare Jacklin, chief executive of the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Association (NRAS).She added: "It is vital that physicians have a range of drugs available to enable them to tailor treatment options to the patient's disease type and continue to invest in research and innovative drugs for
activity rheumatoid arthritis
." TheNICE guidelines allow patients to use Rinvoq, while cost-effectiveness agencies continue to evaluate the drug for treatment with moderate active RA through a separate single technical assessment (STA).We are pleased that the Committee has recognized the value that Rinvoq can bring to people with severe
and active rheumatoid arthritis
of the disease. We remain committed to working with NICE, which has now been interpreted as a separate
single technical assessment in the treatment of moderate
activity rheumatoid arthritis . Belinda Byrne, medical director of AbbVie UK, said.She added: "We are optimistic that we can also make positive claims decisions for those patients with serious illnesses who currently have limited treatment options." (cyy123.com)
: NICE backs AbbVie's Rinvoq for severe active rheumatoid arthritis