Responding to NICE's final draft guidance recommending Tezepelumab (Tezspire, AstraZeneca) as an additional maintenance treatment for people over 12 years old with severe asthma, Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive at Asthma + Lung UK, said:
“On behalf of people with severe asthma, we are delighted that NICE has recommended Tezepelumab for use on the NHS in England. This treatment has the potential to be a lifeline for a much broader population of people with severe asthma who are currently ineligible from accessing other, vital biologic treatments.
“Severe asthma is a debilitating condition, affects an estimated 200,000 people and doesn’t get better with usual asthma medicines. Too often people with severe asthma find themselves stuck in a never-ending cycle of life-threatening asthma attacks, emergency trips to hospital and regular doses of strong steroid tablets, which can be lifesaving but can also have serious side-effects like weight gain and osteoporosis.
“Tezepelumab has already been approved for use in the United States and only months ago was given the greenlight by the European Union. So, it’s good to see England follow suit and approve access to this new biologic treatment, which could transform the lives of people living with severe asthma.”