Allergan receives NICE backing for Botox migraine treatment

Allergan has been granted a positive recommendation for Botox to be used as a treatment for chronic migraines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

The UK regulator has issued a final appraisal determination that supports the use of Botox for the prevention of migraines among adults who have not responded to at least three prior preventative treatments and whose condition is appropriately managed for medication overuse.

Final guidance will be issued in June 2012, giving NHS primary care trusts 90 days to make funding and resources available for the provision of the drug.

This will be the first NICE recommendation for a preventative treatment in the management of chronic migraine, a move that has been championed by organisations such as the Migraine Trust and the British Association for the Study of Headache.

Douglas Ingram, president of Allergan in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, said: "The anticipated positive NICE guidance has been supported by the considerable work of the UK migraine community and their belief that Botox is a valuable treatment option for patients suffering from this crippling condition."

Earlier this month, the company published its financial results for the first quarter of 2012, reporting year-on-year sales growth of nine percent.