NICE's QALY Update: Implications for Rare Disease Treatments in the UK
The UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has updated its cost-effectiveness threshold for appraising new medicines, raising it from £20,000-£30,000 to £25,000-£35,000 per quality adjusted life year (QALY) gained. This change, the first since NICE's inception, aims to support access to innovative medicines. While this is a positive step for rare diseases, it highlights the ongoing challenges in ensuring that groundbreaking treatments reach patients. The update is expected to enable more medicines to be recommended each year, but many rare disease treatments may still not meet cost-effectiveness criteria. 
