Joy For SMA Patients As NICE And Biogen Break Spinraza Deadlock

Between 600-1,200 people in England and Wales may be able to get Spinraza now that after 17 months of negotiations "appropriate flexibility" has led to an access agreement.

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Negotiations finally bear fruit for SMA drug • Source: Shutterstock

The news that NHS England has finally agreed to fund Biogen Inc.'s Spinraza looks like a victory for common sense, with the company, the country's healthcare cost watchdog and patient groups all lauding the negotiations that will finally result in the spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) treatment being made available to children with the rare and fatal muscle-wasting condition.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended funding on the NHS for Spinraza (nusinersen) for the...

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