By Henry Ehrlich
We note with interest that the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), the British health regulator, will now permit omalizumab to be given to children as young as six under their National Health Service coverage. Several years ago, when NICE restricted the anti-IgE antibody to 12 and up, we convened this “Xolair Roundtable” of U.S. doctors who analyzed the pediatric use of the drug. I recommend re-reading the Roundtable, which features both our resident pediatric allergists, Dr. Chiaramonte and Dr. Ehrlich, and Dr. Janet Sullivan, chief medical officer for Hudson Health Plan, New York State’s top-rated health plan for Medicaid and Child Health Plus, whose perspective is particularly interesting since the decisions her organization makes most closely resemble those made by a public health authority.
As always, thank you for posting.