The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published a single technology appraisal offering guidance on the use of febuxostat, within its marketing authorisation, as a possible treatment for chronic hyperuricaemia in gout for people who are intolerant of allopurinol or for whom allopurinol is contraindicated.

Intolerance of allopurinol is defined as adverse effects that are sufficiently severe to warrant its discontinuation, or to prevent full dose escalation for optimal effectiveness as appropriate within its marketing authorisation.
Patients currently receiving febuxostat should have the option to continue therapy until they and their clinicians consider it appropriate to stop.