The referral to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) of drugs for the treatment of very small patient populations, sometimes referred to as ‘ultra-orphan’ drugs, is considered on a case-by-case basis.
The Department and NICE are currently consulting on proposed revisions to the process and criteria for selecting topics for referral to NICE'S technology appraisal work programme. The consultation document is available at:
www.nice.org.uk/getinvolved/suggestatopic/
and a copy has already been placed in the Library.