U.K.'s NICE Approves Astra's Asthma Medication After Striking Pricing Deal

The U.K. regulator tasked with advising the country's health service on what drugs to use said Friday that it will recommend AstraZeneca PLC's (AZN.LN) asthma medication Fasenra, reversing an earlier negative decision.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said the judgment comes after it struck a deal over pricing with the Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company. Fasenra has a list price of 1,955 pounds ($2,475) per dose, but NICE said it was able to negotiate this down, though the final price remains confidential.
Fasenra is a monthly shot for the treatment of severe eosinophilic asthma, a type of asthma in which the body produces an excessive amount of white blood cells called eosinophils. It is Astra's first respiratory drug in a class of medicines called biologics, which are derived from living organisms.
The drugmaker has previously told Dow Jones that it hopes Fasenra can eventually replace the use of steroids, which have extensive side-effects, as a treatment.
Biologic medicines can transform the lives of patients suffering from severe eosinophilic asthma, which can otherwise hold them back from doing daily tasks, said Meindert Boysen, director of NICE's Centre for Health Technology Evaluation.
"This recommendation of a further biological option demonstrates how a competitive pharmaceuticals market combined with NICE's appraisal process provides the NHS and patients with value-for-money and choice," Mr. Boysen said.
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