NICE delays decision on drugs for macular degeneration

doi:10.1136/bmj.39307.507558.DB

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Caroline White

London

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has had to delay its final decision on two drugs for age related macular degeneration after mounting pressure from charities and healthcare professionals.

NICE, which advises health authorities in England and Wales on the treatments to use on the NHS, issued preliminary guidance in June on the use of ranibizumab (marketed as Lucentis) and pegaptanib (Macugen) for the treatment of the disease. Both drugs are already available in Scotland.

It argued that pegaptanib should not be used at all and that ranibizumab should be …