Janssen-Cilag refund scheme backed by NICE

The National Institute of Clinical Health and Excellence (NICE) has announced its support for a scheme proposed by pharmaceutical firm Janssen-Cilag, which suggests that the NHS pay for successful use of its compound, while unsuccessful treatments will be refunded by the firm.

Janssen-Cilag, a Johnson & Johnson company, has suggested that multiple myeloma patients exhibiting a partial or full response to Velcade (bortezomib) be kept on the treatment – with the cost paid for by the NHS – while those showing minimal or no response have their treatment stopped and costs refunded by the company.

Consultation on this recommendation is open until June 22nd, while the final decision regarding the initiative will be made by the Department of Health and Janssen-Cilag after this date.

Andrew Dillon, chief executive of NICE, said: “We are aware of the challenge that the NHS faces in ensuring that patients can access expensive, but potentially effective, treatments for life-threatening conditions such as cancer.”

He added that according to the proposals currently being discussed, all affected patients will have the opportunity to discover if Velcade is an appropriate and efficacious treatment option for their condition.

In November 2006, the decision by NICE to not approve the use of Velcade on the NHS was described by Professor Karol Sikora on BBC Radio 4’s PM programme as a “matter of balancing things” – with the health service forced to consider the cost of the treatment and other potential uses of this money.