Suggested remit: To appraise the clinical and cost effectiveness of nusinersen and risdiplam within their marketing authorisations for treating spinal muscular atrophy.

Status:
In progress
Technology type:
Medicine
Decision:
Selected
Reason for decision:
Anticipate the topic will be of importance to patients, carers, professionals, commissioners and the health of the public to ensure clinical benefit is realised, inequalities in use addressed, and help them make the best use of NHS resources
Rationale:
Scoping commenced.
Process:
MTA Standard
ID number:
6195

Project Team

Project lead
Kate Moore

Email enquiries

If you have any queries please email TACommD@nice.org.uk


External Assessment Group:
Newcastle NIHR TAR Team, Newcastle University

Stakeholders

Companies sponsors
Biogen (Nusinersen)
 
Roche (Risdiplam)
Others
Department of Health and Social Care
 
NHS England
Patient carer groups
Gene People
 
Muscular Dystrophy UK
 
Spinal Muscular Atrophy UK
 
TreatSMA
Professional groups
Adult SMA Reach
 
Association of British Neurologists
 
British Paediatric Respiratory Society
 
British Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine
 
Royal College of Physicians
 
SMA Reach UK
 
UK National Screening Committee
Comparator companies
Novartis Gene Therapies, Inc. (onasemnogene abeparvovec) (confidentiality agreement signed, participating)
General commentators
All Wales Therapeutics and Toxicology Centre
 
British National Formulary
 
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety for Northern Ireland
 
Healthcare Improvement Scotland
 
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
 
NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee
 
Welsh Government

Timeline

Key events during the development of the guidance:

Date Update
25 November 2025 Following the committee meeting on 11 November, NICE is pausing this appraisal. This is because while good progress was made in resolving some key issues, the committee has identified some additional analysis that it needs to help it make recommendations. This analysis relates to the economic modelling in 3 broad areas: patient health-related quality of life values, healthcare resource use and carer health-related quality of life. The aim of seeking additional analysis in each of these areas is to make sure that the economic modelling adequately captures the benefits of the treatments that were described by the patient and clinical experts and seen in the clinical data. As this analysis is of a technical nature and related to the company modelling, NICE considers that the companies are best placed to provide it. Once this analysis is available and has been reviewed, a second public committee meeting will be scheduled to discuss it. NICE will not be releasing a draft guidance document until after this second committee meeting. It is likely that the second committee discussion will be held in early 2026.
11 November 2025 Committee meeting
29 July 2025 Assessment report sent for information
07 May 2025 There has been an update to the timelines for this appraisal following a request from the EAG for additional time to complete their report. As a result, the consultation on the EAG report will now take place between 21 July and 10 September, with the first committee meeting taking place on 11 November 2025.
11 November 2024 The committee meeting planned for 4 December 2024 will not go ahead. After considering the comments received on the External Assessment Group’s (EAG) report, NICE has decided to restart the evidence critique stage, and has asked Newcastle EAG to produce a new report. This work is expected to be completed by the end of May 2025. We therefore anticipate that a first committee discussion will now be September 2025. Access to treatments will continue while the appraisal is ongoing for people starting the treatments as well as those already taking the treatments.
05 January 2024 Invitation to participate
28 July 2023 - 25 August 2023 Consultation on suggested remit, draft scope and provisional stakeholder list of consultees and commentators
28 July 2023 In progress. Scoping commenced.

For further information on our processes and methods, please see our CHTE processes and methods manual