“Fidaxomicin (Dificlir) for the treatment of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the first topic to be covered by NICE as part of its new service to provide high quality information to the NHS and patients in England about the best available evidence for selected new medicines, or for existing medicines with new indications.
Produced by NICE's Medicines and Prescribing Centre (which was formed following the transfer into NICE of the National Prescribing Centre in April 2011 and is part of the Centre for Clinical Practice), the Evidence summaries: new medicines are aimed at commissioners, budget holders and groups such as Area Prescribing Committees. They do not constitute formal NICE guidance but are designed to support the managed introduction of selected new medicines or new indications for existing medicines not covered by NICE's Technology Appraisal programme by providing quality-assured summaries of the best available evidence about their use. Topics for Evidence summaries: new medicines will be considered either at the point of product launch, or up to 12 months in advance of launch. NICE expects to publish advice on 20 new medicines every year.”
A few quick points to note:
- An interim process statement for the development of Evidence summaries: new medicines has also just been published if you want to know more.
- There are no economic evaluations as part of the Evidence summaries.
- The Evidence summaries are published in an unhelful web-based format which doesn’t allow the save or print off the document.