Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the NHS on whether Omalizumab will be made available for the treatment of nasal polyp disease.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service in England on whether medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended in a NICE appraisal
NICE’s appraisal of omalizumab for treating chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps was terminated because the drug manufacturer did not provide an evidence submission. The manufacturer has confirmed that it has not made an evidence submission for the appraisal because the technology will not be launched in the United Kingdom for treating this indication. NICE will review this decision if the manufacturer comes forward with an evidence submission. In the absence of guidance from NICE, NHS commissioners should make decisions on the availability of treatments based on an assessment of the available evidence.