Guidance body the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has indicated it will not recommend Lucentis (ranibizumab) to the NHS for treating visual impairment due to macular oedema secondary to retinal vein occlusion (RVO).
Manufacturer Novartis expressed disappointment at the initial assessment and said it would respond during a consultation period over the next four weeks.
It follows Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) guidance recommending Lucentis as a cost-effective treatment for macular oedema secondary to central RVO by the NHS in Scotland (News 11.11.11).
'This means that patients in Scotland are able to access ranibizumab for this condition while those in England and Wales cannot,' Novartis said.
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