Posted by Michael Wonder on 22 Jun 2017
NICE approves COPD treatment roflumilast for routine NHS use
22 June 2017 - Thousands of patients to benefit from roflumilast, also known as Daxas, to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease after NICE says it should be more widely available.
When NICE first reviewed roflumilast in 2012, limited data meant that it was recommended only if patients were taking it as part of a clinical trial. After two new trials showed the drug eased symptoms that were not being controlled with inhalers, NICE reviewed its guidance and approved roflumilast for eligible patients.
Professor Carole Longson, director of the NICE centre for health technology evaluation said: “COPD is a chronic lung condition which causes breathing problems and for many, symptoms will only worsen with time. New evidence has meant we can now say that roflumilast should be routinely available to patients with severe COPD. This will be welcome news for many patients who have severe COPD symptoms that have been difficult to control.”
