This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
NICE does not recommend ranibizumab for diabetic macular edema
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
LONDON — Ranibizumab was not recommended for the treatment of diabetic macular edema in final draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, a press release said.
The independent appraisal committee concluded that treating diabetic macular edema (DME) with Lucentis (ranibizumab, Novartis/Genentech) instead of laser photocoagulation would exceed the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio that is considered effective use of National Health Service funds.
“NICE already recommends ranibizumab for wet age-related macular degeneration, and although it has been shown in clinical trials to be an effective treatment for [DME], the appraisal committee was unable to recommend the drug as a cost-effective use of NHS resources compared to laser photocoagulation for this condition,” Sir Andrew Dillon, chief executive of NICE, said in the release.
The committee determined that the manufacturer underestimated the cost of treatment by not considering that both eyes would need to be treated and that it was unrealistic to assume the benefits of the drug would continue indefinitely, the release said.
Registered stakeholders now have the opportunity to appeal against the recommendations before NICE issues final guidance to the NHS, at which point local recommendations would be replaced across the country.