The Scottish Medicines Consortium has issued its monthly advice on new medicines.
Testosterone 24 hours transdermal patch (Intrinsa®) has been rejected for the treatment of hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in surgically induced menopausal women
Pioglitazone (Actos®) has been accepted for use in combination with insulin in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.
Celecoxib (Celebrex®) has been rejected for use in ankylosing spondylitis. This rejection was made because the manufacturer failed to submit a New Product Assessment Form as required by the SMC evaluation process.
Action: Clinicians should be aware of the recommendations of the SMC. Routine use of rejected medicines should be avoided.