24 August 2015 - The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has announced that three new medicines have been accepted for use in NHSScotland.

Medicines for HIV, asthma and a new antibiotic for the treatment of MRSA related skin infections were all accepted by the Committee.

Two other medicines, eribulin mesylate (Halaven) for advanced breast cancer and enzalutamide (Xtandi) for the treatment of prostate cancer in men who have not yet received chemotherapy, were not recommended.

Tedizolid phosphate (Sivextro) is an antibiotic used to treat acute bacterial skin infections and infections of the structures beneath the skin (known as ABSSSI). This includes conditions such as cellulitis, skin abscesses and wound infections. Tedizolid is effective against some bacteria including MRSA, which are resistant to most standard antibiotics. A patient group submission from MRSA Action UK stated that increasing antibiotic resistance meant some patients reported persistent infections. With effective antibiotic stewardship in place tedizolid could help to reduce this, leading to shorter hospital stays. SMC accepted tedizolid for use in patients with ABSSSI caused by MRSA on the advice of local microbiologists or specialists in infectious diseases.

For more details, go to: http://www.scottishmedicines.org.uk/About_SMC/Latest_news/News_Articles/August_2015_decisions_news_release