New agreement makes more medicines available to treat range of health conditions

Up to 50,000 New Zealanders per year will benefit from a new multiproduct agreement PHARMAC has reached with Novartis, which makes more funded medicines available for a wide range of health conditions.

“People living with conditions such as chronic heart failure, severe psoriasis, type 2 diabetes, severe asthma and the bone marrow disorder myelofibrosis will be among those who will benefit from this agreement,” says Lisa Williams, PHARMAC Director of Operations.

The agreement includes funding of five new treatments, as well as widened access to three currently funded treatments.

“These medicines are going to make a real difference to the everyday lives and wellbeing of people who, in some cases, are living with very severe conditions and symptoms,” says Ms Williams.

Treatments include an innovative new drug that will be funded for people who’ve experienced severe heart failure, and people living with severe psoriasis will have access to a new medicine to help manage the extreme discomfort that’s often associated with their long-term skin condition.

Other new treatments include a medicine funded for the bone marrow disorder myelofibrosis will have a big impact for those living with this condition, which often results in extreme weakness and fatigue.

People living with type 2 diabetes will also have access to a new class of drug that can help manage their blood sugar levels, without the side-effects that can be experienced with other medication, such as weight gain and hypoglycaemia, or extremely low blood sugar.

“This is the PHARMAC model in action,” says Ms Williams.

“PHARMAC has been working hard with Novartis to negotiate a deal that will benefit so many New Zealanders.

“These sorts of bundle agreements are great as it gives PHARMAC the flexibility to fund new treatments while making treatments that already funded available to more people.”

The decisions take effect from 1 October 2018.

More information can be found on the PHARMAC website

Overview of multiproduct agreement

Funding of five new treatments:

Vildagliptin (Galvus) for type 2 diabetes mellitus

Vildagliptin with metformin (Galvus Met or Galvumet) for type 2 diabetes mellitus

Secukinumab (Cosentyx) for severe chronic plaque psoriasis

Sacubitril with valsartan (Entresto) for chronic heart failure

Ruxolitinib (Jakavi) for myelofibrosis

Widened access to three currently funded treatments:

Eltrombopag (Revolade) for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) contraindicated to splenectomy and severe aplastic anaemia

Omalizumab (Xolair) for chronic spontaneous urticaria and severe asthma

Tacrolimus (Tacrolimus Sandoz) for non-transplant indications

Amended contractual terms (including pricing, rebates and protection periods) for:

Basiliximab (Simulect) for use in solid organ transplant

Fingolimod (Gilenya) for relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis