Omalizumab and mepolizumab patient numbers and Special Authority approvals in past 5 years

OIA response

28 October 2021

Dear [name and contact details withheld]

Request for information 

Thank you for your request dated 1 October 2021 under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) for information relating to omalizumab and mepolizumab. You requested: 

Number of Special Authorities (divided into initial applications and renewals) issued annually for the following treatments for severe asthma:

  • Omalizumab for past 5 years (listed under SA1744)
  • Mepolizumab since April 2020 (listed under SA 1896) 

Number of Patients Treated for Severe Asthma Annually for the Past 5 years (or since date of listing for mepolizumab) for the following treatments

  • Omalizumab
  • Mepolizumab

Please see the tables below for data for your request.

Number of Special Authorities approved annually for 'Severe Asthma' or 'Severe eosinophilic asthma' in the last 5 years

Initial applications

  Mepolizumab Omalizumab
SA1896 SA1490* SA1744
2016   ≤10  
2017   19  
2018   ≤10 22
2019     52
2020 140   29
2021 123   25
Grand Total 263 36 128

 

Renewal applications

  Mepolizumab Omalizumab
SA1896 SA1490* SA1744
2016   ≤10  
2017   16  
2018   12 ≤10
2019     44
2020 ≤10   40
2021 64   27
Grand Total 66 34 113

*SA1490 was replaced by SA1744 on 1/10/2018 when access to omalizumab was widened. 

The number of patients, by calendar year, who have been dispensed at least once under the indication 'severe asthma'/'severe eosinophilic asthma' under the given SA form numbers in the last 5 years

  Mepolizumab Omalizumab
SA1896 SA1490* SA1744
2016   ≤10  
2017   35  
2018   36 16
2019   22 80
2020 122 12 105
2021 238   113
Grand Total 360 120 314

Please note:

  • Latest Dispensing Data we can provide is to 31 July 2021
  • Years are in Calendar Years
  • While in some cases we have data on the specific Special Authority criteria used in Special Authority applications, PHARMAC cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of this data. 

We trust that this information answers your queries. We are making our information more freely available, so we now publish selected OIA responses (excluding personal details) on our website. Please get in touch with us if you have any questions about this. 

Yours sincerely

Rachel Read
Manager, Policy and Government Services