- Prescribing Advice for GPs - https://www.prescriber.org.uk -

SMC Update - August 2015

The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has issued its monthly advice on newly licensed medicines.

Darunavir / Cobicistat (Rezolsta®) has been accepted for use in combination with other antiretroviral medicinal products for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection in adults aged 18 years or older. Genotypic testing should guide its use.

Tedizolid (Sivextro®) has been accepted for restricted use in the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) in adults. The restriction limits use to patients with ABSSSI caused by Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (specifically methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus [MRSA] isolates as an alternative oxazolidinone antibacterial on the specific advice of local microbiologists or specialists in infectious disease.

Tiotropium solution for inhalation (Spiriva® Respimat®) is accepted for use as an add-on maintenance bronchodilator treatment in adult patients with asthma who are currently treated with the maintenance combination of inhaled corticosteroids (≥800 micrograms budesonide/day or equivalent) and long-acting beta2 agonists and who experienced one or more severe exacerbations in the previous year.

Action: Clinicians should be aware of the recommendations of the SMC. Routine use of rejected and restricted medicines should be avoided.