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The move is part of the government's previously announced plan to overhaul drug funding in the UK.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health noted that NICE's role will focus on "advising clinicians on effective treatments and quality standards - rather than making decisions on whether patients should access drugs that their doctors want to prescribe."

The spokesperson confirmed that "a new system of value-based pricing" will be introduced in an effort to "make effective treatments affordable to the NHS" and ensure that drug prices "will reflect the value they bring." According to reports, the current threshold used by NICE of approximately 30 000 pounds ($48 100) per quality-adjusted life year will be lifted when the plans come into effect in 2014.

Andrew Dillon, chief executive of NICE, welcomed the changes, commenting that the agency supports "moves to extend access to new treatments at prices which reflect the additional value to patients." However, health economist, Alan Maynard, said that rationing would still be needed as "real growth in the NHS will be about 0.5 percent in the next few years. The question is whether we have it at a national level or let 150 primary care trusts or whatever do it their own way."