The Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) AutoClicks Prefilled Pen was just made available in the United Kingdom through the National Health System (NHS), announced UCB, a company focused on neurology and immunology disorders.
Designed for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), active psoriatic arthritis, and other more complex forms of arthritis, the AutoClicks prefilled pen was developed with a button-free delivery system and a broad nonslip grip that takes potential hand disabilities into consideration.
Patients can follow the progress of the injection through its large viewing window and safely know they are self-administering their medicine correctly due to the two clicking sounds that indicate when the injection starts and when it finishes.
“I see many patients whose joints have been destroyed by this painful disease, so having a new choice is welcomed,” Ravik Mascarenhas, consultant rheumatologist at the Royal Devon & Exeter Foundation Trust, said in a press release. “Like most of us they also tend to find it a challenge self-injecting because of a needle. With this new prefilled pen the patient doesn’t even see the needle, which may take some of the nerves and fear away.”
The announcement follows the recent positive opinion of the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), based on validated data and risk benefit analyses.
The monthly cost to the U.K.’s NHS for treating a patient using the Cimzia prefilled pen is £715 (about $873) for two treatment doses of 200 mg.
“It is difficult for people who do not suffer from this disease to understand just how challenging doing the ordinary things in daily life can be, more so for those with painful and swollen joints,” said Alisa Bosworth, chief executive of the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society, who was diagnosed with RA 30 years ago.
“Trying to grip an everyday object such as a kitchen gadget can cause immense pain. So we welcome any innovation that can help make the lives of RA patients more comfortable while they manage their condition,” Bosworth said.
UCB will continue its partnership with OXO, a household products company, to help with the design of the prefilled pen based on core technology licensed from Bespak.
