Feature / NICE update

NICE UPDATE

NICE published the following guidance in June:

Technology appraisal guidance

• TA 314 Implantable cardioverter defibrillators and cardiac resynchronisation therapy for arrhythmias and heart failure – It is estimated the annual cost associated with implementing this technology will be £19m in year one and £33m for the population of England from year two onwards, when the uptake level has reached the level assumed in the costing assumptions .
• TA315 Canagliflozin in combination therapy for treating type 2 diabetes - Based on assumptions in the costing model, the annual cost associated with implementing the recommendations on the use of canagliflozin as an option for treating type 2 diabetes is put at £26,400 per 100,000 people.

Clinical guidelines

• CG180 Atrial fibrillation (update) – It is estimated that the annual impact of implementing the recommendations of this guidance per 100,000 population to be a cost of £88,000.?The major cost driver is the impact of not offering aspirin monotherapy to reduce stroke risk, but using alternative treatments that are?significantly more expensive.

Medical technology guidance

• MTG18 The MAGEC system for spinal lengthening in children with scoliosis –?The committee for the topic was advised that the population of children for whom the MAGEC system would be considered is small, with an estimated 120 children per year in England who may be treated using growth rods. Because of this, it is unlikely that the guidance will result in a significant change in resource use in the NHS. It is estimated the insertion costs of MAGEC rods to be £27,400, with an annual lengthening cost of £900. In contrast, conventional growth rods are estimated to cost £15,300 for insertion and £5,400 for annual lengthening.
• MTG19 Geko device for reducing the risk of venous thromboembolism –The use of this device is estimated to be cost saving. Although clinical evidence is limited, the case is supported because of the plausibility that the Geko device may reduce the high risk of venous thromboembolism in patients who cannot use other forms of prophylaxis, and the low risk of the device causing harm.

NICE update was prepared by Stephen Brookfield, (senior costing analyst) at NICE