News

NICE's decision on dementia drugs was “irrational,” High Court is told

BMJ 2007; 334 doi: 10.1136/bmj.39259.403171.DB (Published 28 June 2007)
Cite this as: BMJ 2007;334:1337.2

Access to the full text of this article requires a subscription or payment. Please log in or subscribe below.

  1. Clare Dyer, legal correspondent
  1. BMJ

    The regulatory body that decides which treatments the NHS should pay for was accused of “irrational” decision making in the High Court this week for denying drugs to patients in the mild stage of Alzheimer's disease.

    The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), which issues its guidance on the basis of cost benefit analyses, is facing its first legal challenge to a decision to restrict a drug's availability on the NHS.

    The unprecedented case was brought to the High Court in London this week by two drug companies and by the Alzheimer's Society, representing patients and carers.

    NICE's guidance last year meant that nearly 100 000 patients a year in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland with mild Alzheimer's disease were no …

    Access to the full text of this article requires a subscription or payment

    Subscribe

    Article access

    Article access for 1 day

    Purchase this article for £20 $30 €32*

    The PDF version can be downloaded as your personal record

    * Prices do not include VAT

    Rapid responses

    THIS WEEK'S POLL

    BMJ most popular