Intermune's orphan Esbriet falls foul of Germany's benefit assessment
This article was originally published in Scrip
Executive Summary
Intermune's orphan drug Esbriet (pirfenidone) offers no quantifiable additional benefit for treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) over comparators, according to IQWiG, Germany's Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Healthcare. The decision comes after it conducted the first ever benefit assessment of an orphan drug under new procedures introduced by the healthcare reform act, the AMNOG.