Pharmac calls for applications for medicines for rare disorders

Te Pātaka Whaioranga – Pharmac is calling for applications for medicines for rare disorders. Applications received would be considered at the next meeting of the Rare Disorders Advisory Committee meeting in March 2023.

“We are inviting pharmaceutical suppliers to submit funding applications for this specific therapeutic area to be considered by our clinical experts,” says Pharmac’s director of operations Lisa Williams. “Clinicians and consumer groups are of course able to summit applications too, but in this instance we are looking for suppliers who are interested in having their treatments funded in New Zealand.

“We understand that people living with rare disorders face many challenges, including access to suitable health care and effective treatment. We hope by proactively calling for funding applications, we will hear from pharmaceutical suppliers about new medicines we should be considering.

“In our interim response to the Pharmac review we committed, in partnership with the wider health sector, to doing what we can to improve the lives of people with rare disorders. We initiated work in this area in 2018 so it’s great to get these processes for proactively seeking applications re-established,” says Ms Williams.

Funding applications need to meet the principles of our Rare Disorders policy and will be assessed in line with Pharmac’s usual processes.

“We expect to release the agenda of the March Rare Disorders Advisory Committee meeting in January.  That way the rare disorders community will be able see what medicines we will be assessing and can consider whether they want to provide information about their lived experience with the rare disorders on the agenda,” concludes Ms Williams.