The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has recommended GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) Incruse Ellipta 55mcg (umeclidinium) to treat patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary (COPD) within NHS Scotland.
The positive advice on Incruse Ellipta allows the health boards across Scotland to advise the drug for appropriate patients with COPD.
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Incruse Ellipta is a once-daily long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA), a type of bronchodilator also known as an anticholinergic, which can relax airway muscles and improve airflow in and out of the lungs.
GSK UK medical director Dr Stephen McDonough said: "We are delighted by this positive recommendation from the SMC for Incruse Ellipta.
"Adding a LAMA to our portfolio in the Ellipta inhaler will allow clinicians to tailor treatments to patients’ needs whilst reducing the need for patients to change to different types of inhaler."
According to GSK, when used in combination with Relvar Ellipta 92 / 22mcg (fluticasone furoate / vilanterol), licensed in COPD, which also received SMC positive advice in April, it is the first and only triple therapy option for COPD in the same type of inhaler.
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By GlobalDataSMC’s decision is in line with the launch of this treatment in the UK in October, while it was approved by European Commission in April.
Incruse Ellipta’s active ingredients will be manufactured at GSK’s Montrose site in Scotland.
GSK announced £25m investment in November 2013 to expand operations to support delivery of new medicines. The investment is in addition to its £100m pledge in 2012 to expand operations for two manufacturing sites in Scotland, Montrose and Irvine.
Image: GlaxoSmithKline at 3 Franklin Plaza at the corner of Vine Street and N 16th Street in Center City, Philadelphia. Photo: courtesy of Beyond My Ken.
