The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has confirmed that Emgality (galcanezumab) can be prescribed for migraine prevention free of charge on the National Health Service (NHS) in England and Wales.
The drug can be prescribed to patients with episodic or chronic migraine who have four or more migraine days a month and have failed at least three preventive drug treatments. Under the NICE guidance, galcanezumab should be stopped after 12 weeks if it does not reduce episodic migraine by at least 50% or chronic migraine by at least 30%. Galcanezumab will also need to be provided in accordance with an agreed commercial arrangement.
In Scotland, galcanezumab is under consideration by the the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) for availability on the NHS with a decision expected to be published in April 2021.
Reference
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Galcanezumab for preventing migraine. TA659, November 2020. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/TA659/chapter/1-Recommendations
