Today's the day!

[Polywotsit]

We don't know whether the teddy bears are having their picnic, but the NICE guidance for the use of tocilizumab (Roactemra) are published this morning on the NICE website.

nice.org.uk/guidance/TA518

Criteria are tight, as we expected, but it's a start.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Good. Well done to you and all involved in making this happen.

[joat]

Very interesting reading. Thank you.

[CT-5012]

Thank you to all who helped to make this happen. Gold stars 🌟🤩💐

[SheffieldJane]

Thank you for this welcome news and all the charity’s efforts to make this option a reality for GCA sufferers.

I bet Mark was wondering where his teddy had sloped off too.😀

[Hev1964]

Can I ask if this is for England only Kate? I read this on another forum/fb Page. My own rheumatologist (in Scotland) has spoken to me about trying it so I was surprised to read it hadn’t been approved for Scotland! Could you confirm this - or otherwise please? Thanks x

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hev1964]

It is possible it is still available on special funding requests in Scotland - as it was in England previously.

[Hev1964 in reply to PMRpro]

Ah maybe that’s what my Rheumatologist meant then, I was wondering after I saw Kate’s post and read it was England only. He maybe knows he could get it then. Many thanks x

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hev1964]

Or he isn't totally up-to-date and they may have put a moratorium on it until the approval process is completed.

[Polywotsit PMRGCAuk team member]

My understanding is that there has to be a separate ruling for Scotland because the health service authorities are different, but that it should follow on from this one.

[Hev1964 in reply to Polywotsit]

Ah ok thank you, that sounds better than having to start from scratch for the Scottish folk amongst us - hopefully they won’t have to wait too long. Thank you for reply. X

[Jackoh]

Thank you for posting this and all the hard effort that went into making this possible.