Price offer wins UCB arthritis drug UK green light

* UCB to make drug available for free for first 12 weeks

* Under scheme UK's NHS to save 3,575 pounds per patient

BRUSSELS Jan 21 (Reuters) - Britain's healthcare cost-effectiveness watchdog has recommended UCB's (UCB.BR) rheumatoid arthritis drug Cimzia, after the Belgian drugmaker agreed to provide it for free during the first 12 weeks.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) originally said October it was not "minded" to recommend the drug for use in the country's state-run heath service. [ID:nLK311127]

It finally agreed after UCB offered the so-called patient access scheme.

Cimzia belongs to a class of arthritis drugs that work by blocking an inflammatory protein called tumour necrosis factor (TNF). And the drug has the advantage of costing less than some of its rivals to manufacture.

The first TNF blockers were launched 10 years ago and Cimzia is the fourth to reach the market as an arthritis treatment, behind Amgen's (AMGN.O) Enbrel, Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ.N) Remicade and Abbott Laboratories' (ABT.N) Humira.

The offer by UCB equates to 10 free doses of Cimzia, which is a saving of 3,575 pounds ($5,835) per patient to the National Health Service (NHS), the drugmaker said. On Tuesday it emerged that Roche's (ROG.VX) new rheumatoid arthritis drug RoActemra will be made available on the state health service in Scotland, despite being deemed too expensive by NICE. [ID:nLDE60I0DJ] (Reporting by Ben Deighton and Ben Hirschler; Editing by Sharon Lindores) ($1=.6126 POUND)