NHS’s 30,000 life-saving “game changer” cholesterol-lowering drug

The availability of cholesterol-lowering drugs could save the lives of about 30,000 people within the next decade. NHS..

Incresilan, which is offered to hundreds of thousands of people, is described as a potential “game changer”.

It is expected to prevent 55,000 heart attacks and strokes and save tens of thousands of people from premature death.

Treatment is for people with hypercholesterolemia or mixed dyslipidemia (abnormally high blood fat levels) who have already had a heart attack or stroke under the final guidance draft by the National Institute for Health and Care Technology (Nice). Will be done in.

NHS England said the drug will be rolled out on an unprecedented scale after medical services and manufacturers have signed a contract to enable the use of Incresilane at a cost-effective price.

Minister of Health Sajid Javid “This is a major step forward in tackling the tragedy of heart disease, which tragically kills thousands each year.

“I would like to thank the NHS, Novartis and Nice for this work to help treat one of the most deadly diseases in the world.”

According to the NHS England, more than two in five people in the UK have hypercholesterolemia and are at high risk of developing heart disease, and about 6.5 million adults are currently taking lipid-lowering drugs such as statins. I add.

According to the NHS England, heart disease accounts for about a quarter of deaths each year in the United Kingdom.

Nice said the drug recommendations apply to England and Wales.

Incrisilane is given as an injection by a nurse of a general practitioner across the UK, three months after the first dose, and then twice a year.

This drug was the first of a new type of cholesterol-lowering treatment that used RNA interference (RNAi) to help the liver remove harmful cholesterol from the blood, and Nice did not lower other treatments. Those said that clinical trial evidence shows that it can reduce levels in some cases are sufficient.

Healthwatch dogs do not yet have long-term evidence of the effect of incremental silane on cardiovascular outcomes, but for people who have previously experienced cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes and whose cholesterol levels have remained high thereafter. Other treatments have been given that have been described as being considered cost effective.

The drug is also recommended for use in research trials in people who have never experienced a cardiovascular event, Nice said.

NHS England and NHS Improvement estimate that approximately 300,000 people will receive the drug in three years, prevent 55,000 heart attacks and strokes, and potentially save 30,000 lives in the next decade.

Maindelt Boysen, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Health Technology Assessment Center in Nice, said:

“Therefore, we can recommend it as a cost-effective option for the NHS supported by a breakthrough contract between NHS England and the NHS Improvement and Novartis, a contract that can see as many as 300,000 people with hypercholesterolemia. Or, if you have a mixed dyslipidemia that has had a previous cardiovascular event, you will receive this drug over the next three years. “

Amanda Pritchard, Chief Executive Officer of the NHS, said:

“Heart disease remains one of the major killer conditions, so it’s great to have such an effective and convenient treatment for people with dangerously high cholesterol levels.

“This world-leading deal on the deployment of Incresilan saves lives and enables hundreds of thousands of people to benefit from this innovative treatment while being fair to taxpayers.”

NHS England said the “Population Health Agreement” agreement between NHS and the pharmaceutical company Novartis could ultimately see nearly 500,000 people benefit from treatment.

Professor Sarnile Shusamani, medical director of The Hart Foundation, described the drug’s approval as “good news for people with heart disease” and suggested that further research could expand it to a wider group. ..

He states: “Further research is needed to see the full range of its benefits, but in the future I think it will be approved to lower cholesterol in a much wider group to prevent heart attacks and strokes. . “