A new treatment which could “transform” the lives of patients with severe asthma is to be approved for NHS use. Tezepelumab, which is known as a biologic medicine, could be offered to up to 60,000 people in England.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) recommended the new treatment, which is delivered via an injector pen every four weeks, in final draft guidance. Nice recommended the use of the treatment – also known as Tezspire and made by pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca – as an “additional maintenance treatment” for people over 12 with severe asthma. Clinical trial results suggest that the treatment, when added to usual care, reduced asthma attacks and the amount of oral anti-inflammatory medicine patients needed to take.
Commenting on the news, Sarah Woolnough, chief executive at Asthma and Lung UK, said: “On behalf of people with severe asthma, we are delighted that Nice has recommended Tezepelumab for use on the NHS in England. This treatment has the potential to be a lifeline for a much broader population of people with severe asthma who are currently ineligible from accessing other, vital biologic treatments.
