UXBRIDGE, England, August 29 /PRNewswire/ -- NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) has published guidance that recommends Baraclude® (entecavir) as an option for treatment of eligible patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Entecavir is a potent anti-viral treatment for chronic Hepatitis B that has been shown to be more effective at suppressing the virus than the most widely used anti-viral treatment (lamivudine)(1) and has shown minimal emergence of resistance in new patients treated with it (entecavir) for up to 5 years.(2)
Richard Marsh, Director of External Affairs and Market Access, Bristol-Myers Squibb said, “This is good news for patients with chronic Hepatitis B. We welcome the publication of NICE’s final guidance on Baraclude, recommending it as a treatment option for chronic Hepatitis B in line with its licence. PCTs are now required to make funding available for Baraclude for patients prescribed it by their specialist. Bristol-Myers Squibb will continue to work proactively with clinicians and PCTs to enable access to Baraclude for those patients who will benefit from it.
“Chronic Hepatitis B is a leading cause of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. It is highly infectious, growing in prevalence in the UK and an increasing cost to NHS resources. Baraclude is a clinically effective and cost effective treatment for all eligible patients with chronic Hepatitis B. Its favourable resistance profile, in particular, makes it a very valuable treatment option for patients and for the NHS. NICE’s new guidance endorses this view.”
Source: Bristol-Myers Squibb
