NICE grants limited recommendation for Esbriet (pirfenidone) as a treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.-Roche

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has now published a second final appraisal determination in which it stipulates that Esbriet (pirfenidone) from Roche, will only be funded by the NHS if the person has a forced vital capacity (FVC) between 50 percent and 80 percent predicted and Roche provides the drug with the discount. NICE says Esbreit could not be considered a cost-effective use of NHS resources for the population specified in the marketing authorisation - that is, adults with mild to moderate idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis - because the most plausible incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) lay somewhere between about £25,700 and £28,900 per quality-adjusted life years (QALY) gained compared with best supportive care, and was associated with uncertainties that had the potential to substantially increase this.