HEDS is part of the School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR) at the University of Sheffield. We undertake research, teaching, training and consultancy on all aspects of health related decision science, with a particular emphasis on health economics, HTA and evidence synthesis.

Wednesday 14 March 2012

Orphan drug reviews suspended?

The Advisory Group for National Specialised Services (AGNSS) is a committee that advises health Ministers on which services should be nationally commissioned and the centres that should provide them.

Two AGNSS reviews of drugs are currently underway; eculizumab (Soliris, Alixion) for aHUS and tafamidis (Vyndaqel, Pfizer) for familial amyloid polyneuropathy.  The review group for the former is ScHARR-TAG within HEDS.

However, subject to the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill the new NHS Commissioning Board will take responsibility for the direct commissioning of certain services - including specialised services from April 2013.  Therefore, in recognition of these changes AGNSS has agreed to hold a moratorium on applications for new services and on undertaking any new reviews of high cost low volume drugs or technologies.