NICE Single Technology Appraisal Guidance No 154 - Telbivudine for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B - the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) published advice on this medication for this indication in February 2008:
Telbivudine (SebivoŽ) is accepted for use within NHS Scotland for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B in adult patients with compensated liver disease and evidence of viral replication, persistently elevated serum alanine aminotransferase levels and histological evidence of active inflammation and/or fibrosis. For a number of therapeutic endpoints telbivudine proved to be equivalent or superior to a comparator nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor.
Access the advice of the Scottish Medicines Consortium
In this case, there is a material difference between the NICE STA and the SMC recommendation.
NHSScotland should note that:
1.NHS Boards should continue to adhere to the SMC advice.
2. The new NICE single technology appraisal process is being monitored by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland, Scottish Government Health Directorates and SMC for a period of time. During this period recommendations of NICE STAs will be only for noting by NHS Scotland in the knowledge that SMC have already issued advice on the medicine which NHSScotland should follow.
3.Hard copies of NICE appraisals are available from NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (contact Shonagh Buchanan, tel 0141 225 6993 or email shonagh.buchanan@nhs.net).