On 11th
December 2017, the Scottish Medicines Consortium
(SMC) published its decision to not recommend
brodalumab (Kyntheum) for the treatment of severe psoriasis.
Brodalumab blocks the activity of interleukin 17A (IL-17A), a chemical ’messenger’ in the immune system that signals other cells to cause inflammation. In people with psoriasis the immune system is overactive and creates too much inflammation, which leads to the development of psoriasis symptoms. By blocking IL-17A, brodalumab (Kyntheum) aims to prevent some of that inflammation from occurring, leading to an improvement in psoriasis for some people who take it. Other biologic medications that block the activity of IL-17A, called Cosentyx (secukinumab) and Taltz (ixekizumab) are currently available for people with severe psoriasis.
You can read the full, detailed decision from the SMC here.
UPDATE MONDAY 7TH MAY 2018:
After an appeal and re-assessment of evidence, the SMC has accepted brodalumab (Kyntheum) to treat severe psoriasis, where people have not had adequate results from conventional systemic treatments, or cannot take them. This brings the availability of brodalumab (Kyntheum) in Scotland into alignment with the decision taken by NICE for England and Wales in March.