What has SMC said?
The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has accepted netarsudil plus latanoprost eye drops to reduce the pressure inside the eye (intra-ocular pressure; IOP) in adult patients with ocular hypertension (high pressure in the eye) or a condition called open angle glaucoma (where the pressure in the eye rises because fluid cannot drain out of it). Netarsudil plus latanoprost eye drops are for use when treatment with netarsudil alone or a medicine called a prostaglandin have not reduced the IOP enough.
SMC has accepted netarsudil plus latanoprost eye drops for restricted use. The restriction means that they can be used for patients where treatment with a medicine called a prostaglandin have not reduced the IOP enough, if:
- The patient has then tried a treatment called a fixed dose treatment combination (an eye drop that contains two different medicines to reduce the IOP), and that has also failed to reduce the IOP enough, or
- A fixed dose treatment combination eye drop that contains a type of medicine called a beta- blocker is not suitable for the
This document summarises the SMC decision and what it means for patients.
You can find more detailed information about the SMC assessment of netarsudil plus latanoprost eye drops by looking at the SMC Detailed Advice Document (SMC2720).
What does SMC’s decision mean for patients?
Netarsudil plus latanoprost eye drops for use as described above is available for prescribing on the NHS in Scotland. Your healthcare professional can discuss with you if it is the right treatment for you.
You can find more information about making decisions about your treatment in this booklet called: Medicines in Scotland: What’s the right treatment for me?
How does SMC make its decision?
SMC carefully considers every new medicine to make sure it benefits patients and is likely to be a good use of NHS resources.
To do this SMC studies the following:
- Evidence from the company about how well the medicine works compared with current treatments available in Scotland, in relation to how much they will cost to buy and use to treat
- The potential impact of the medicine on patients and
- Advice from healthcare professionals about any benefits of the new medicine compared to current treatment, along with how the new medicine is likely to be
When SMC assesses a medicine it takes account of the needs of all patients in NHSScotland, not only those who may be treated with the medicine.
You can find out more about how SMC decides here: https://www.scottishmedicines.org.uk/how- we-decide/
More information and support
Further information, advice and support for patients with glaucoma and their families and carers can be found through the NHS inform website:
https://www.nhsinform.scot/search?q=Glaucoma&tab=nsd
You can find out more about netarsudil plus latanoprost eye drops (Roclanda®) in the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) by searching for the medicine name on the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) website.