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New Zealand Agency Takes Steps to Improve Access to Rare Disease Therapies

July 16, 2018

Rare Daily Staff

PHARMAC, the New Zealand government agency charged with determining which pharmaceuticals will be publicly funded in that country, said it has appointed a clinical subcommittee with expertise in evaluating medicines for rare disorders, the latest action to improve funded access to medicines for rare disorders.

The subcommittee, which includes leading New Zealand and Australian experts in managing patients with rare disorders, will provide advice to PHARMAC’s main clinical committee.

“We’re pleased to have made this progress following on from the commitments we made at the end of last year,” said Sarah Fitt, chief executive of PHARMAC. “The subcommittee will provide expert clinical advice on applications we receive from the commercial process we are currently running. This involves actively seeking funding proposals for medicines for rare disorders.”

Earlier this month, PHARMAC published updated policy settings for assessing medicines for rare disorders and opened a commercial process seeking funding applications from pharmaceutical suppliers, specifically for medicines for rare disorders.

“The updated policy settings help define which medicines we will consider in this process and provide certainty to stakeholders of the sort of medicines we are looking for,” said Fitt. “Ultimately, we hope this work will improve access to funded medicines for people with rare disorders.”

July 16, 2018
Photo: Sarah Fitt, chief executive of PHARMAC

 

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