The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has issued its monthly advice on newly licensed medicines.
Beclometasone / formoterol / glycopyrronium inhaler (Trimbow®) has been accepted for restricted use as a maintenance treatment in adult patients with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who are not adequately treated by a combination of an inhaled corticosteroid and a long-acting beta2-agonist. The restriction limits use to patients with a forced expiratory volume in one second less than 50% predicted normal.
Opicapone (Ongentys®) has been rejected for use as an adjunctive therapy to preparations of levodopa / DOPA decarboxylase inhibitors in adult patients with Parkinson's disease and end-of-dose motor fluctuations who cannot be stabilised on those combinations. The manufacturer did not make a submission to the SMC and therefore the product cannot be recommended.
Action: Clinicians should be aware of the recommendations of the SMC. Routine use of rejected and restricted medicines should be avoided.