New Zealand views access to sugammadex and atomoxetine and baclofen injection funding

2 December 2013

New Zealand’s Pharmaceutical Management Agency PHARMAC is seeking feedback on the following proposals on access to certain drugs, all with a proposed implementation date of February 1, 2014:

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

Funding for atomoxetine (Strattera, from US drug major Eli Lilly [NYSE: LLY]) in the community and in hospitals would be widened to include its first-line use for attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in patients with existing or previous psychoses and/or who have a first-degree relative with schizophrenia.

Baclofen injection (Lioresal Intrathecal) would be funded in the community, subject to a prescription endorsement, for use in a programmable pump in patients with severe chronic spasticity of cerebral origin or due to multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury or spinal cord disease, where oral antispastic agents have failed or have caused unacceptable side effects.

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