Just over 1,300 people with a rare skin condition that can be
life-threatening if left untreated are set to benefit after NICE
gave the green light to a new first-line treatment.
Spesolimab, also known as Spevigo and made by Boehringer
Ingelheim, is recommended in final draft guidance published today
(Thursday, 15 May) as an option for treating generalised pustular
psoriasis (GPP) flares in adults.
Generalised pustular psoriasis (GPP) is a rare inflammatory skin
disease, affecting just over two in every 100,000 people in the
UK. During a flare of GPP, people experience painful pus-filled
skin blisters that develop suddenly over large areas of their
skin. People with GPP may also experience fevers, swelling, joint
pain and fatigue.
Severe flares often need to be treated in hospital and if
untreated they can cause complications like sepsis and organ
failure, which can be fatal.
Spesolimab, given as an intravenous infusion which usually needs
to be taken once or twice per flare, is the first targeted and
effective drug specifically developed for managing GPP
flares.
It belongs to a group of medicines called interleukin (IL)
inhibitors, which work by blocking a protein which causes
inflammation, helping to clear the skin and reduce symptoms of
GPP during a flare.
Clinical trial evidence for the treatment of moderate-to-severe
GPP flares shows that spesolimab helps to resolve flares and
people could potentially live longer if they take it compared
with usual treatment.
There is no licensed standard care specifically for GPP flares.
Current treatments for GPP flares include ciclosporin, acitretin
and biological treatments used to treat other forms of
psoriasis.
This is an optimised recommendation for initial
moderate-to-severe flares that meet certain criteria. Subsequent
GPP flares may also be treated with spesolimab if the last flare
was resolved by using the drug.
The company has a commercial arrangement through a simple
discount patient access scheme, which makes the drug available to
the NHS with a confidential discount.
The treatment would be available on the NHS in England within
three months of NICE's final guidance being published.
Read the full final draft guidance for spesolimab for treating
generalised pustular psoriasis flares.
