The JJ竞技 Technology Assessment Group (JJ竞技 -TAG) conducts health research for a range of institutions. Their work has led to some revolutionary changes to the way patients receive treatment through the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). Over the past year, the group independently assessed the use of new treatments for ovarian cancer and other life threatening conditions.
Their independent assessment of niraparib found it to be fit for use for ovarian cancer by the eligible population in England, and it was subsequently recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the official body that provides national guidance and advice to improve health and social care.
In April 2022, as another result of TAG’s independent assessment, elosulfase alfa was recommended for use in the NHS by NICE for treating mucopolysaccharidosis Type IV A (MPS IVA). Treatment is expected to start in children when they are around three years old and will be lifelong. If untreated, MPS IVA can cause skeletal abnormalities, respiratory symptoms, pain, fatigue, and reduced life expectancy. The Society for Mucopolysaccharide Diseases (MPS Society) considers elosulfase alfa to be ‘life changing,’ with one parent reporting that:
Elosulfase alfa is likely to slow disease progression and delay symptom-onset. It also improves children’s quality of life by preserving lung function and improving endurance. However, as it is still highly uncertain if elosulfase alfa actually increases someone’s life compared to being untreated, the company offered a substantial discount on the retail price of the drug, resulting in a large cost saving for the NHS.
