NICE is the organisation that decides whether treatments should be available on the NHS in England. Wales and Northern Ireland usually follow NICE decisions too.
The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) is the organisation that decides for Scotland. Risankizumab is not yet being assessed by the SMC to decide if it should be available for people with Colitis on the NHS in Scotland. We do not know yet when this might happen.
What is risankizumab?
Risankizumab is a type of biologic medicine. It sticks to a protein called IL-23. Your immune system makes IL-23 to help you fight infections. But it can also cause inflammation. Risankizumab blocks the effects of IL-23. This reduces gut inflammation.
The brand name for risankizumab is Skyrizi.
Who can have Risankizumab?
NICE has recommended risankizumab as a treatment option for people over 16 years with moderately or severely active Colitis who:
- Cannot take an anti-TNF medicine such as adalimumab, infliximab or golimumab
- Have not responded well enough to an anti-TNF medicine
- Have stopped responding to an anti-TNF medicine
- Have had to stop taking an anti-TNF medicine because of bad side effects
Risankizumab was approved in May this year as an option for the treatment of Crohn’s.
How do you have it?
You have your first three doses of risankizumab through a drip into a vein. You have one dose every 4 weeks. This aims to get your Colitis under control (induction treatment).
After this, you have risankizumab as an injection under your skin. You have it through a special injector that you stick to your skin, called an on-body injector. Your doctor or nurse will teach you how to use it yourself at home. You have the injection every 8 weeks. The injections aim to keep your Colitis under control (maintenance treatment).
When will it be available?
When NICE recommends a treatment option, it should be available on the NHS within 3 months.
How do I get it?
Risankizumab is not suitable for everyone with Colitis. If you think risankizumab might be suitable for you, talk to your IBD team. Together, you can talk about your treatment options and decide what is right for you.
Increasing access to medicines
Find out how we are working to ensure people with Crohn’s or Colitis can access the most effective medicines and treatments so that they stay well.
