PHARMAC to fund new haemophilia medicine
From 1 December 2020 a new medicine will be funded by PHARMAC which will help some people with severe haemophilia A.
From 1 December 2020 a new medicine will be funded by PHARMAC which will help some people with severe haemophilia A. Emicizumab (branded as Hemlibra and supplied by Roche) is a new cutting-edge preventative treatment for people with severe haemophilia A, that can be taken at home.
New scientific advancements like this will improve the quality of life and life expectancy of people with severe haemophilia A significantly.
“Emicizumab is expected to reduce the frequency of bleeding episodes and as a result, hospital visits, which will have important impacts on the quality of life for people who use it,” explains deputy medical director Dr Pete Murray.
Emicizumab adds to the suite of haemophilia medicines that PHARMAC already funds, including two long acting treatments listed in 2019 for haemophilia A and B.
“Emicizumab is a high-cost medicine, and funded access is targeted at those who will most benefit from it. Without PHARMAC funding if a person chooses to privately pay for this medicine, it would cost them at least $600,000 a year.” (This is based on a 70 kg person)
“PHARMAC is committed to continuing our work to fund more medicines for more people, delivering the best possible health outcomes for New Zealanders from within our fixed budget,” concludes Dr Murray.