February 2023 decisions news release
The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC), which advises on newly-licensed medicines for use by NHSScotland, has today (Monday 13 February ) published advice on five new medicines.
Pembrolizumab (Keytruda®) was accepted for the treatment of patients with persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer. It was considered through SMC’s Patient and Clinician Engagement (PACE) process, which is used for medicines for end of life and rare conditions.
Nivolumab (Optivo®) was accepted for the treatment of patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer. It was also considered through the PACE process.
An initial assessment report has been published for burosumab (Crysvita®), a treatment for adult patients with X-linked hypophosphataemia, a rare genetic condition. Symptoms include rickets, bones fractures, early osteoarthritis, dental problems and an increased risk of osteoporosis. Burosumab has been assessed through the ultra-orphan pathway for medicines aimed at extremely rare conditions. It will be available for three years while further information is gathered. Following this, SMC will review the evidence and make a decision on routine availability in NHSScotland.
SMC has accepted eptinezumab (Vyepti®) as another treatment option for the prophylaxis of migraine in adults who have at least four migraine days per month and current treatments do not help.
SMC also accepted upadacitinib (Rinvoq®) as an option for adults with active non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis, a form of inflammatory arthritis that mainly affects the spine.
SMC chairman Mark MacGregor said: “We are pleased to be able to accept pembrolizumab for the treatment of cervical cancer and nivolumab for bladder cancer. The committee is aware that delaying progression of the disease for as long as possible is very valuable to patients and families.
“Adults will now gain access to burosumab while the company gathers additional evidence to inform a decision in three years. X-linked hypophosphataemia is a chronic and severely debilitating condition that causes pain and fatigue and is life limiting for patients. The costs of burosumab are very high relative to the identified benefits and this additional time will give the company the opportunity to provide greater certainty around the benefits for patients.”