UK AGENCY OUTLINES STATINS OPINION

UK agency NICE, which provides guidance on pharmaceuticals to be reimbursed by the NHS, has published an assessment on the use of statins for the prevention of coronary heart disease.

NICE's findings are that statins should prescribed for people with clinical evidence of CHD and as a preventative measure for over 75's at greater risk. In a negative finding for some ethical firms, the document also recommends that the least expensive statin available should be prescribed.

US drug major Pfizer, which markets leading statin Lipitor, has criticised NICE's cost-conscious proposals. The company claims that this does not take into account that certain statins suit individual patients more appropriately and that each treatment is unique.

It is estimated that some 1.5mn people in the UK under 75 would be eligible for statin therapy under the new guidelines.