Pioneering Alzheimer’s drug rejected for widespread use in NHS in England | UK News
A new pioneering Alzheimer’s drug has been rejected for widespread use in the NHS in England. The announcement comes as the UK’s medicines regulator said that donanemab could be licensed for use in the UK. However, the health spending watchdog, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE), said that it “does not currently demonstrate value for the NHS”. It is the second time a new Alzheimer’s treatment has been rejected by NICE in a matter of months. Manufactured by pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, donanemab, also known as Kisunla, is a targeted antibody drug that slows down the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Along with another new Alzheimer’s drug called lecanemab, it has been billed as a huge step forward in research because they both target a known cause of the disease – instead of just treating the symptoms. Image: A doctor indicates to a brain scan of someone with Alzheimer’s disease. Pic: Reuters Commenting on new draft guidance rejecting the drug, Helen Knight from NICE said: “For NICE to be able to approve a …