Approval of proposals for atomoxetine, sugammadex and to fund baclofen injection in New Zealand

13 January 2014

New Zealand’s Pharmaceutical Management Agency PHARMAC has announced the approval of proposals to amend access to sugammadex and atomoxetine and to fund baclofen injection in the community.

The proposals were approved as consulted on except for some minor changes to the atomoxetine and baclofen restrictions which were made after considering responses to consultation (see the ‘Feedback received’ section on the next page for more details). The decisions are summarised as follows, all with an implementation date of 1 February 2014:

Funding for atomoxetine (Strattera, from the USA’s Eli Lilly [NYSE: LLY]) in the community and in hospitals will be widened to include its first-line use for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in patients with a history of psychoses or who have a first-degree relative with schizophrenia.

Funding for sugammadex (Bridion; from Merck & Co [NYSE:MRK]) in hospitals will be widened to include severe neuromuscular degenerative disease where the use of neuromuscular blockade is required.

Baclofen injection (Lioresal Intrathecal, from GlaxoSmithKline [LSE: GSK]) will be funded in the community, subject to a prescription endorsement, for use in a programmable pump in patients where oral antispastic agents have been ineffective or have caused intolerable side effects.

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