What has SMC said?
The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has accepted secukinumab for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), a long-term skin condition that causes abscesses and scarring on the skin.
SMC has accepted secukinumab for restricted use. The restriction means that secukinumab is accepted to treat patients with moderate-to-severe HS, where a medicine called adalimumab has not worked or cannot be used.
This document summarises the SMC decision and what it means for patients.
You can find more detailed information about the SMC assessment of secukinumab by looking at the SMC Detailed Advice Document (SMC2592).
What does SMC’s decision mean for patients?
Secukinumab 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?
More about SMC’s decision
SMC’s decision takes into account a confidential discount offered by the pharmaceutical company.
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 patients.
- Information from patient groups about the potential impact of the medicine on patients and carers.
- 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 used.
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: htps://www.scottishmedicines.org.uk/how-we-decide/
More information and support
Further information, advice and support for patients with hidradenitis suppurativa and their families and carers can be found through the NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hidradenitis-suppurativa/
You can find out more about secukinumab (Cosentyx®) in the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) by searching for the medicine name on the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) website. https://products.mhra.gov.uk