January 28, 2004

Britain’s National Institute for Clinical Excellence Recommended Roche’s Pegasys and Schering-Plough's PegIntron

Britain's National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommended Roche’s Pegasys and Schering-Plough’s PegIntron be used, in combination with the antiviral drug ribavirin, for adults with moderate to severe hepatitis C.

Both products are pegylated interferons, which stay in the body longer than traditional drugs and therefore need to be given less frequently.

NICE's latest guidance to the National Health Service replaces guidance issued in 2000 which only recommended the two companies’ non-pegylated treatments.

The watchdog group’s appraisal committee estimates that substituting pegylated interferon for conventional interferon will increase the monthly cost per patient from 200 pounds ($366) to 550 pounds.

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