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<p>The Government is committed to ensuring that patients have access to clinically
and cost effective treatments, including those for hepatitis C.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
</p><p>The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent
body responsible for providing advice to the National Health Service on the clinical
and cost-effectiveness of health technologies.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>NICE
is currently appraising a number of new drugs for use in the treatment of hepatitis
C under its technology appraisal process. These are shown in the following table.</p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Drug/indication</p></td><td><p>Expected
date of final guidance</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>sofosbuvir (Sovaldi) for treating chronic
hepatitis C</p></td><td><p>February 2015</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>simeprevir (Olysio)
for treating genotype 1 or 4 chronic hepatitis C</p></td><td><p>February 2015</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>ledipasvir-sofosbuvir
(Harvoni) for treating chronic hepatitis C</p></td><td><p>June 2015</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>daclatasvir
(Daklinza) for treating chronic hepatitis C</p></td><td><p>August 2015</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir
(Viekirax) with or without dasabuvir (Exviera) for treating chronic hepatitis C</p></td><td><p>September
2015</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p>More
generally, we have launched an Innovative Medicines and Medical Technology Review
of the pathways for the development, assessment, and adoption of innovative medicines
and medical technology. This review will consider how to speed up access for NHS patients
to cost-effective new diagnostics, medicines and devices.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The
review will examine the pathway from ‘first in human’ trials, through licensing and
health technology appraisal, to commissioning and clinical practice. It will set out
both short and long-term options for action by Government and relevant bodies, including
NICE, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and NHS England, and
mark a major contribution to the policy debate.</p><p> </p>
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