“The Advisory Group for National Specialised Services (AGNSS) provides advice to Ministers on which services and technologies should be nationally commissioned and which providers should be designated to deliver them. AGNSS received applications for the drugs Eculizumab for the treatment of atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome and Tafamidis for the treatment of familial amyloid polyneuropathy to be included in national specialised commissioning arrangements.
Following careful consideration of the applications, AGNSS provided its advice to Ministers. Ministers agreed with AGNSS that there is evidence for the clinical effectiveness of Eculizumab for the treatment of atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome but wanted further advice on the affordability of the drug. Ministers agreed with AGNSS that Tafamidis for the treatment of familial amyloid polyneuropathy should not be commissioned nationally because the available evidence was insufficient to prove the clinical effectiveness of the drug for the population in this country.As AGNSS ceases to exist on 31 March, Ministers have asked NICE to consider Eculizumab for the treatment of atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome as part of its new Highly Specialised Technologies programme.”
The appraisal for eculizumab (Soliris, Alexion) was undertaken by the ScHARR-TAG group within HEDS. However, AGNSS does not make its appraisals publicly available, so further details can not be imparted on the blog. Sorry.
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