NICE’s next round of drug appraisals is set to include two new hepatitis C drugs

NICE’s next round of drug appraisals is set to include two new hepatitis C drugs - Merck Sharpe and Dohme’s Victrelis and Johnson & Johnson’s telaprevir.

Neither of the drugs is yet licensed in Europe but if they are they may meet a pressing unmet medical need for more effective hepatitis C treatments and NICE is already lining up to assess them.
Victrelis is set to be the first on the market, having just been recommended for European approval, while J&J’s telaprevir could be licensed in Europe by the end of the year.
If approved the drugs will be among six treatments Ministers have referred to NICE to appraise.
NICE said it will assess Victrelis for use in previously untreated genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C patients – the licensed indication it is seeking in Europe.
It will also look to appraise Victrelis for previously treated patients who have used the NICE approved treatments ribavirin and Roche’s Pegasys (peginterferon alfa).
Telaprevir, recently approved in the US as Incivek, would also be appraised for previously untreated genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C and previously treated with peginterferon alfa and ribavirin.

http://www.inpharm.com/news/157641/nice-appraise-hep-c-drugs-victrelis-and-telaprevir