Agenda for November 2024 Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory Committee (PTAC) meeting
Information on what the Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory Committee (PTAC) will be considering at its upcoming meeting in November 2024.
Matters arising and correspondence
Ferric carboxymaltose – consultation feedback requesting widening of access to people with heart failure, who have an iron deficiency but not anaemia.
The Committee will advise on widening access to ferric carboxymaltose for people with heart failure, who have an iron deficiency but do not have anaemia yet.
Applications
Ocrelizumab subcutaneous formulation – multiple sclerosis (same as intravenous uses)
The Committee will discuss an application to fund a subcutaneous formulation of ocrelizumab for people with multiple sclerosis. The intravenous formulation is already funded for this population so the Committee will consider if the subcutaneous formulation provides a similar health benefit to the currently funded intravenous formulation.
Application for ocrelizumab subcutaneous formulation | Application Tracker(external link)
Testosterone cream - For the treatment of hypoactive sexual desire dysfunction (HSDD) in postmenopausal women
The Committee will discuss an application to fund a testosterone cream for people with hypoactive sexual desire dysfunction who are postmenopausal.
Tezepelumab (Tezspire) for severe uncontrolled asthma irrespective of phenotype
The Committee will discuss a new application for tezepelumab (Tezspire) from the supplier, AstraZeneca. Tezepelumab is a monoclonal antibody (a type of biologic medicine) which is given as a subcutaneous injection using a pre-filled pen every four weeks.
Tezepelumab will be considered for people with severe uncontrolled asthma who are:
- eligible for the currently funded biologic medicines used for severe asthma (mepolizumab, benralizumab and omalizumab)
- ineligible for these currently funded biologics in New Zealand and who have experienced 3 or more asthma exacerbations in the past year.
Benralizumab and mepolizumab (Fasenra and Nucala) - widening access to allow switching between anti IL5 biologic agents due to waning efficacy in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma
The Committee will discuss a new request from respiratory clinicians around the country to widen access to benralizumab and mepolizumab for severe eosinophilic asthma.
Currently, people receiving benralizumab or mepolizumab for severe eosinophilic asthma can switch to the other funded treatment if their asthma has not improved enough during the first year of treatment. This new request aims to allow people whose asthma does not respond to one of these treatments to switch to the other treatment at any time.
Previously considered applications:
Mepolizumab - Severe refractory eosinophilic asthma | Application Tracker(external link)
Atezolizumab (with chemotherapy) - Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), advanced or metastatic, PDL1 expression over 1%
The Committee will discuss additional clinical trial data and health benefit evidence on the use of atezolizumab for the treatment of advanced triple negative breast cancer.
The Committee first considered this application in February 2021, and it was also reviewed by the Cancer Treatments Advisory Committee in April 2021. Both Committees wanted more information before making a funding recommendation.
PTAC Record - 2021-02 (published 12 May 2021) [PDF, 553 KB]
2021-04 Cancer Treatments Subcommittee record (published 2 August 2021) [PDF, 878 KB]