6 September 2018 - PHARMAC is pleased to announce a major funding package involving ten medicines in seven key therapy areas through an agreement with Novartis.

Five new medicines will be funded, and access widened to three others, from 1 October 2018. The decision will provide substantial health benefits for up to 50,000 New Zealanders with a range of health conditions.

In summary, this decision will result in the following changes from 1 October 2018:

Funding of five new treatments:

• Secukinumab (Cosentyx) for severe chronic plaque psoriasis
  
• Sacubitril with valsartan (Entresto) for chronic heart failure
  
• Vildagliptin (Galvus) for type 2 diabetes mellitus
  
• Vildagliptin with metformin (Galvumet) for type 2 diabetes mellitus
  
• Ruxolitinib (Jakavi) for myelofibrosis
  

Widening of access to three currently funded treatments:

• Eltrombopag (Revolade) for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura contraindicated to splenectomy, and severe aplastic anaemia
  
• Omalizumab (Xolair) for chronic spontaneous urticaria and severe asthma
  
• Tacrolimus (Tacrolimus Sandoz) for non-transplant indications
  

Read PHARMAC press release