PHARMAC in negotiations over rare disorders medicines

New Zealand’s Pharmaceutical Management Agency, PHARMAC, is in active negotiations with several suppliers as a result of its competitive process for rare disorders medicines.

On the eve of World Rare Diseases Day, PHARMAC has announced that 28 proposals from eight suppliers emerged from its request for proposals, issued late last year.

Chief executive Steffan Crausaz says that, from those proposals, PHARMAC has constructed a priority funding list and is currently in active negotiations with several suppliers. “We were very pleased with the response from suppliers,” says Mr Crausaz, adding: “The whole idea of this process was that we could promote competition and produce lower prices than we had previously seen. This in turn would enable us to improve people’s access to these medicines, and lead to better health outcomes.”