National Institute for Curbing Expenditure (NICE) blights Alzheimer sufferers
NICE has been renamed by NHS doctors as the National Institute for Curbing Expenditure after it's latest edict to ban the funding of Alzheimers drugs costing only £2.50 a day- which will effect hunderds of thousands of sufferers. "This blatant cost-cutting will rob people of priceless time" said Neil Hunt of the Alzheimer's Society.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence said donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine could be used to treat moderate stage disease, but will not be available to early stage sufferers of Alzheimers.Campaigners had argued patients in the early stages of Alzheimer's should also have access to the £2.50-per-day drugs.
Drug 'improved our lives'
NICE has also ruled another drug, memantine, should be used only in clinical studies for people with moderately severe to severe Alzheimer's disease.
Eisai and Pfizer, who produce donepezil, also known as Aricept, said they were considering whether to seek a judicial review of the decision.
Around 750,000 people in the UK are estimated to have dementia, but only 78,000 patients take donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine, with two thirds of those taking donepezil.
Restrictions
NICE guidance in 2001 recommended the drugs, which can make it easier to carry out everyday tasks, should be used as standard. Galantamine is also known as Reminyl, rivastigmine as Exelon and memantine as Ebixa.
But in July 2005, NICE said access to the drugs should be restricted because they were not good value for money. It has now issued its final guidance, which will apply only to newly diagnosed patients.
Andrew Dillon, chief executive of NICE, said: "Alzheimer's is a cruel and devastating illness and we realise that today's announcement will be disappointing to people with Alzheimer's and those who treat and care for them."
'Fundamental flaws'
Action on Alzheimer's, an alliance of more than 30 professional and patient organisations, reacted angrily to NICE's ruling. "The decision will force patients to wait until their condition deteriorates into a state of fear and confusion before receiving drugs that work."
"There is evidence that these drugs work at all stages of the disease, but NICE proposes to restrict their use on grounds of cost."
Neil Hunt, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society, added: "This blatant cost-cutting will rob people of priceless time early in the disease and later clinicians will have no choice but to use dangerous sedatives that increase the risk of heart disease and stroke."
He said there had been "fundamental flaws" in NICE's appraisal process, and called on the government to step in.
Help the Aged said one in five people over 80 were affected by dementia and the number of people living with the disease was set to double in a decade.
Jonathan Ellis, senior policy manager at the charity, added: "It cannot be right to allow the health of thousands of older people to deteriorate on the altar of cost.
"On the one hand, the government says it is committed to improving care for older people, while on the other NICE is blocking access to treatment which would help them retain their independence and dignity. This is botched policy making at its worst."
For more on this story please read:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6036519.stm
Health Direct have been warning about NICE and it's profit orientated approach to approving drugs for a long time. Please also read: Nice blight bypass for drugs runs out of money 7 Nov 05- A fast- track scheme to provide drugs on NHS runs into a funding row. Health ministers have approved a fast-track system to decide which new drugs the National Health Service should provide, but have found themselves locked in a row over funding.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence said donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine could be used to treat moderate stage disease, but will not be available to early stage sufferers of Alzheimers.Campaigners had argued patients in the early stages of Alzheimer's should also have access to the £2.50-per-day drugs.
Drug 'improved our lives'
NICE has also ruled another drug, memantine, should be used only in clinical studies for people with moderately severe to severe Alzheimer's disease.
Eisai and Pfizer, who produce donepezil, also known as Aricept, said they were considering whether to seek a judicial review of the decision.
Around 750,000 people in the UK are estimated to have dementia, but only 78,000 patients take donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine, with two thirds of those taking donepezil.
Restrictions
NICE guidance in 2001 recommended the drugs, which can make it easier to carry out everyday tasks, should be used as standard. Galantamine is also known as Reminyl, rivastigmine as Exelon and memantine as Ebixa.
But in July 2005, NICE said access to the drugs should be restricted because they were not good value for money. It has now issued its final guidance, which will apply only to newly diagnosed patients.
Andrew Dillon, chief executive of NICE, said: "Alzheimer's is a cruel and devastating illness and we realise that today's announcement will be disappointing to people with Alzheimer's and those who treat and care for them."
'Fundamental flaws'
Action on Alzheimer's, an alliance of more than 30 professional and patient organisations, reacted angrily to NICE's ruling. "The decision will force patients to wait until their condition deteriorates into a state of fear and confusion before receiving drugs that work."
"There is evidence that these drugs work at all stages of the disease, but NICE proposes to restrict their use on grounds of cost."
Neil Hunt, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society, added: "This blatant cost-cutting will rob people of priceless time early in the disease and later clinicians will have no choice but to use dangerous sedatives that increase the risk of heart disease and stroke."
He said there had been "fundamental flaws" in NICE's appraisal process, and called on the government to step in.
Help the Aged said one in five people over 80 were affected by dementia and the number of people living with the disease was set to double in a decade.
Jonathan Ellis, senior policy manager at the charity, added: "It cannot be right to allow the health of thousands of older people to deteriorate on the altar of cost.
"On the one hand, the government says it is committed to improving care for older people, while on the other NICE is blocking access to treatment which would help them retain their independence and dignity. This is botched policy making at its worst."
For more on this story please read:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6036519.stm
Health Direct have been warning about NICE and it's profit orientated approach to approving drugs for a long time. Please also read: Nice blight bypass for drugs runs out of money 7 Nov 05- A fast- track scheme to provide drugs on NHS runs into a funding row. Health ministers have approved a fast-track system to decide which new drugs the National Health Service should provide, but have found themselves locked in a row over funding.
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