LONDON, September 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Norgine today announced that the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has accepted the use, within NHS Scotland, of TARGAXAN^® 550 (rifaximin-α),^[i] a treatment licensed for the reduction in recurrence of episodes of overt hepatic encephalopathy in patients of 18 years of age and over.^[ii]

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This is the second acceptance for use made by a health technology assessment (HTA) body. In May 2013, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) in Australia recommended listing of rifaximin on the basis of high clinical need, improved clinical benefit over the existing treatments and acceptable cost-effectiveness.^[iii]

ADVICE: following a full submission

rifaximin (Targaxan^®) is accepted for use within NHS Scotland.

Indication under review: reduction in recurrence of episodes of overt hepatic encephalopathy (HE) in patients ≥18 years of age.

In a double-blind randomised controlled study of six months duration, rifaximin was superior to placebo for the primary outcome of time to first overt breakthrough episode of HE.

Professor Peter Hayes Professor of Hepatology at the University of Edinburgh and the Scottish Liver Transplant Unit said: "Being able to use TARGAXAN^® 550 in Scotland is important as liver disease has been on the rise over the past decade^[iv] - so we're seeing far more cases of hepatic encephalopathy. In 2012, in Scotland alone almost 5,000 people  were diagnosed with chronic liver disease,^[v] which can progress to cirrhosis, and of which 80 per cent can go on to develop hepatic encephalopathy.^[vi],[vii]"

Access full release and references on http://www.norgine.com

Media contact: Isabelle Jouin M: +44(0)771-406-1327, ijouin@norgine.com

i. Scottish Medicines Consortium Advice: rifaximin (Targaxan) September 2013.  http://www.scottishmedicines.org.uk/SMC_Advice/

ii. TARGAXAN 550 SmPC. http://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/

iii. PBAC decision. April 2013. http://www.pbs.gov.au/info/industry/listing/elements/pbac-meetings/pbac-outcomes/2013-04/positive-recommendations

iv. A Time to Act: Improving Liver Health and Outcomes in Liver Disease. 1004_National Liver Plan2009.pdf

v. Scottish Public Health Observatory: Chronic liver disease: morbidity [cited 12th August 2013 ]; Available from: http://www.scotpho.org.uk/health-wellbeing-and-disease/chronic-liver-disease/data/morbidity 

vi.  Gitlin N, Lewis DC, Hinkley L. The diagnosis and prevalence of subclinical hepatic encephalopathy in apparently healthy, ambulant, non-shunted patients with cirrhosis. J Hepatol. 1986;3(1):75-82.

vii. Das A, Dhiman RK, Saraswat VA, Verma M, Naik SR. Prevalence and natural history of subclinical hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhosis. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2001 May;16(5):531-5

SOURCE Norgine ltd