Osteoporosis sufferers win case over NHS treatment

THOUSANDS of osteoporosis sufferers today won a victory in the High Court when judges ruled it was wrong to prevent them receiving effective NHS treatment.

The ruling is a step forward for women suffering the devastating bone thinning condition in their battle against drug regulator the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to obtain medication free from side-effects.

Nice guidance states doctors must prescribe the cheapest treatment available to early-stage sufferers. But the budget drug alendronate causes crippling stomach pains for one in five people. Patients with an intolerance are only eligible for the more costly drug strontium ranelate when their condition has reached a critical stage.

The National Osteoporosis Society and drug manufacturer Servier have branded this guidance "unethical" and a breach of human rights. Appeal court judges today backed their challenge against Nice over its ban on strontium ranelate which costs £17 a month compared with £50 a year for alendronate.

The High Court ruling concluded there was a lack of "transparency" over how Nice reached its decision.

This now means Nice will be under pressure to disclose details of how it decides if a drug is cost effective. Its experts now must review existing guidance on osteoporosis treatment. Judges are also considering whether to order a complete rewrite of advice.

Half of women, and one in five men, over 50 will develop osteoporosis which causes the spine, wrist and hips to become thin and fracture easily.