Key Summary
- A new at home injection for COPD has been approved by NICE.
- It cuts flare ups, improves breathing, and reduces hospital visits.
- Patients could see better quality of life with fewer steroid side effects.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has approved Dupilumab, a biologic drug, for patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Dupilumab is a pre-filled pen that patients can inject themselves at home once every two weeks, and it targets both the symptoms of COPD and an underlying cause of the disease.
During clinical trials Dupilumab reduced COPD flare-ups by nearly 30 per cent, improved breathing, and lung functioning.
The drug helps the patients by blocking proteins and raised levels of eosinophils (specific white blood cells), which cause flare-ups and other symptoms.
COPD is a chronic lung disease that obstructs a person’s airways, making it hard to breathe.
Nearly, 1.2 million people in the UK are diagnosed with this condition.
“The NHS rollout of a take-at-home jab for COPD will transform the lives of around 100,000 people over the next few years, cutting the chances of them having severe exacerbations by one-third for the first time as well as improving their quality of life,” commented Dr Jonathan Fuld, national clinical director for respiratory diseases at NHS England.
The approval will bring down hospitalisations due to COPD flare-ups.
Patients can now avoid serious side-effects from the traditional steroid treatments that impact their day-to-day life.
Hospitals can save up to £16.5 million in health services by reducing up to 3,600 COPD attacks and reduces steroid prescriptions.
NHS England has negotiated a deal with French pharmaceutical company, Sanofi allowing the rollout of the treatment dupilumab in this indication.
Helen Knight, NICE director of medicines evaluation commented, “This recommendation is a significant milestone for people with COPD. It offers patients an effective, targeted therapy that has shown impressive results - reducing flare-ups by around a third while improving lung function. This is better for patients and better for the NHS.”
"For people whose COPD remains uncontrolled despite existing treatments, dupilumab could offers genuine hope for a better quality of life. Recommending this medicine demonstrates NICE is continuing to get the best care to patients while ensuring value for the taxpayer,” she added.
