UCB (EBR:UCB) said today that its Cimzia AutoClicks pre-filled pen is available in the U.K., after the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use recommended the device for all approved indications, including rheumatoid arthritis and axial spondyloarthritis.
The Belgian company partnered with OXO to develop the pen, based on technology licensed from Bespak. The AutoClicks device is button-free with a wide, non-slip grip to help patients that experience pain when trying to grip an object. The pen clicks when the injection has started and when it has finished to ensure the patient receives a full dose of certolizumab pegol.
“I see many patients whose joints have been destroyed by this painful disease so having a new choice is welcomed,” Dr. Ravik Mascarenhas, a rheumatologist at the Royal Devon & Exeter Foundation Trust, said in prepared remarks. “Like most of us they also tend to find it a challenge self-injecting because of a needle – with this new pre-filled pen the patient doesn’t even see the needle which may take some of the nerves and fear away.”
“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,” added National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society CEO Ailsa Bosworth. “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.”
The monthly cost to the U.K.’s National Health Service for treating a patient using the AutoClicks pen is about $867 (£715) for 2 treatment doses of 200mg, according to UCB.
