Positive NICE Final Appraisal For Dronedarone

Dronedarone can be prescribed as a second-line treatment in

those people with non-permanent AF patients whose AF is not controlled by first-line therapy (usually including beta blockers) and who have at least one of the following risk factors:

• Hypertension requiring 2 drugs of at least 2 different classes
• Diabetes mellitus
• Previous transient attack (TIA), stroke or systemic embolism
• Left atrial diameter ≥50 mm
• Left ventricular ejection fraction <40% (dronedarone not recommended for  those with LVEF <35%) or age 70 years or more and who do not have unstable New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III or IV heart failure.

People who do not meet these criteria, who are currently receiving dronedarone should have the option to continue treatment until they or their clinicians consider it appropriate to stop.

The recommendations from NICE have been broadly welcomed. They follow a sustained campaign by cardiologists and other healthcare professionals (HCP) along with the Arrhythmia Alliance to have dronedarone available for prescription with NHS funding.

A new website, www.multaq.co.uk is available for HCPs, which has specific section for patients, and carries general information about atrial fibrillation and Multaq in particular.

Reference

• Final appraisal determination for the treatment of non-permanent atrial fibrillation. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) July 2010. Available at: http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/11750/49792/49792.pdf