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Innovative drugs will bypass NICE approval process to build cost effective data

BMJ 2009; 339 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.b2887 (Published 15 July 2009) Cite this as: BMJ 2009;339:b2887
  1. Deborah Cohen
  1. 1BMJ

    Innovative drugs will be approved for NHS use without having first gone through the appraisal process of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), as part of a drive to stimulate the United Kingdom’s life sciences industry, the government has announced in their Life Sciences Blueprint.

    The government, with NICE, will introduce an “innovation pass,” making selected drugs available across the NHS for a set period to allow data to build up to show cost effectiveness. They will then go through the usual NICE appraisal process.

    The scheme is due to be piloted in 2010-2011, with a budget of £25m (€30m; $41m). Although the detail has yet to be finalised, NICE will play a key role in developing and applying eligibility criteria for the pass and is set to enter discussions with industry and the NHS about the pilot.

    The innovation pass is one of a series of measures announced by the government to support the life sciences industry, which …

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