12 January 2018 - PHARMAC is pleased to announce our decision to widen funded access to five treatments for pulmonary arterial hypertension.

This decision will:

• List epoprostenol (Veletri) in Section B of the Schedule (community access) and widen funded access for certain severe patients;
  
• Reduce the severity requirement to include all patients who are NYHA Functional Class II;
  
• Fund earlier dual therapy, by reducing the number of required monotherapy trials from two to one;
  
• Fund triple therapy for patients with certain severe circumstances;
  
• Allow clinicians to apply for sildenafil and bosentan funding through the standard Special Authority application process, instead of applying to the PAH Panel; and
  
• Allow treating clinicians to seek expert clinical advice from the PAH Panel.
  

The decision takes effect from 1 February 2018.

Read PHARMAC press release