Nearly 12,000 New Zealanders are set to benefit from major agreements that have been approved by PHARMAC.

Agreements with two companies, Novartis and Biogen Idec, have been approved which will see 10 new medicines funded, and either reduced prices or widened access to eight others.

Director of Operations Sarah Fitt says the agreement with Novartis involves the highest number of new medicines funded from one agreement in PHARMAC’s 21-year history. Nine new medicines, including new treatments for dementia, the respiratory condition chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, multiple sclerosis, chronic myeloid leukaemia and a type of brain tumour, are included in the Novartis agreement.

“This is a major step forward in medicines availability,” says Sarah Fitt. “It’s a great example of PHARMAC and suppliers finding creative and innovative ways to make new medicines available to patients, and negotiating to make other medicines more cost effective.”

For more details, go to: http://www.pharmac.health.nz/news/media-2014-10-largest-deal/