4 December 2018 - Cost watchdog NICE has backed NHS funding for UCB’s Cimzia as a treatment for psoriasis, but is not recommending Almirall’s Ilumetri.

Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) is recommended for adults with severe plaque psoriasis that has not responded to other systemic treatments such as phototherapy, methotrexate and cyclosporin, or if these treatments are not suitable.

Cimzia was cleared for use in Europe in July as the first Fc-free, PEGylated anti-TNF treatment option for use in moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. In one clinical trial, response rate for patients who achieved a PASI 75 after 12 weeks’ treatment was 66.7% for those receiving Cimzia 400 mg every two weeks and 61.3% for those getting Cimzia 200 mg every two weeks, compared to just 5.0% for patients in the placebo group.

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