Pharmac has confirmed today it will be funding seven new medicines and widening access to two others, and expects thousands of Kiwis to benefit.
The new medicines being funded are:
• vedolizumab for people with inflammatory bowel disease
• tolvaptan for people with a type of kidney disease called autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease
• a three-monthly version of paliperidone for schizophrenia
• ibrutinib for relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
• brentuximab vedotin for relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma and anaplastic large cell lymphoma
• selenium, and copper chloride, both medicines are for people in hospital with major burns
The two medicines being given wider access are cinacalcet for people with hyperparathyroidism and zoledronic acid for a range of conditions including osteoporosis, Paget’s disease, hypercalcaemia, breast cancer and bone metastases.
The majority of these medicines will be funded from December 1, with the exception of vedolizumab, which will be available from 1 February 2023, and zoledronic acid, which will have access restrictions removed from 1 March 2023.
Speaking to Breakfast this morning, Richard Stein from Crohns and Colitis NZ and Peter Fergusson from Leukaemia and Blood Cancer NZ said patients would be "thrilled" by the news, although said it had been a long time coming.
"There will be patients who will be absolutely over the moon this morning, there’s patients who have desperately needed these treatments for some time," Fergusson said.
The move comes as the drug agency plays catch up, using a boost from this year's budget.
"The challenge we have, the two drugs were applied for in 2015, so it’s a bit like getting your 2015 brand new car on your driveway in 2022. The technology is seven years old now."
Likewise, Stein said the funding had come after years of petitions being presented to Parliament as well as marches through streets.
"We have not had a new medicine to treat these diseases since 2009. These medications that we’ve been waiting for have been available for several years.
"We’ve worked very, very hard, and we’re thrilled to finally have them available."
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