NICE 2001/ 037
Issued: 15 November 2001

Press Release

The appeal period for the appraisal of beta interferon and glatiramer acetate for Multiple Sclerosis closed at 5pm on Wednesday 14th November. The Institute has received a number of appeals against the Final Appraisal Determination. This appeal will be heard on the 26th November, and in line with the Institute's published policies we will inform appellants and the public of the outcome of the appeal as soon as practicably possible.

Depending on the outcome of the appeal the earliest the Institute will issue guidance in this area is late December.

Ends

Notes for Editors

1. The appraisal process followed by the Institute allows for submissions from manufacturers, groups that represent patients and professional organisations. It also provides for periods of consultation, feedback, and appeal should it be required.
   
2.

The Final Appraisal Determination was sent to the consultees on Monday 29th October and was published on the NICE website on Friday 2nd November. The consultees had until 14th November 2001 to lodge an appeal against the guidance if they believed that the Institute:

  • has not acted fairly and in accordance with its procedures
  • has made a decision that is perverse in light of the evidence presented
  • has exceeded its powers
3. The Institute's provisional and final determinations on Interferon beta and glatiramer in MS (published in August and October respectively www.nice.org.uk), encouraged the Department of Health to consider, with manufacturers, a strategy to acquire any or all of the medicines appraised in a manner that could be considered to be cost effective. The NHS has cash limited budgets and the procurement of technologies and products plays an important part in the overall application of resources in a fair and efficient way. We are pleased to see from the media reports that the Department and the manufacturers have begun these discussions.
   
  The Institute has not been involved in the discussions between the Department of Health and the manufacturers, therefore we are unable to comment as we have not seen the detail of the scheme.
   
4. For further details on the appraisal of beta interferon and glatiramer for multiple sclerosis please visit the Institute's website at www.nice.org.uk and use the search engine in the top right corner of the Institute's web site. By typing in "sclerosis" the search engine will bring up all the documents available on this appraisal.
   
5.

The consultees in this appraisal are:

  • Association of British Neurologists
  • Biogen Ltd
  • Department of Health
  • Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine
  • MS Research Group of the Association of British Neurologists
  • MS Research Trust
  • National Assembly for Wales
  • Neurological Alliance
  • Royal College of General Practitioners
  • Royal College of Physicians
  • Royal Pharmaceutical Society
  • Schering Health Care Ltd
  • Serono Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
  • Teva Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
  • The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
  • The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
  • The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery