National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) Says No to Bristol-Myers Squibb Company for Second-Line Orencia Use

In final draft guidance NICE has not recommended the use of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s arthritis drug Orencia after other drugs have failed. NICE has previously issued a positive recommendation the NHS to use Orencia (abatacept) as a second line treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis after tumour necrosis factor drugs - such as J&J’s Remicade - have failed. But in this new guidance, it is not recommending the drug, in combination with methotrexate, for patients whose disease has responded inadequately to one or more conventional non-biological disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs).