31 October 2019 - PHARMAC is seeking feedback on a proposal to make changes to the funded brand of rituximab, a biologic medicine used to treat a range of cancer, blood and autoimmune conditions, from 1 March 2020.

If the proposal is approved, the following changes would occur:

• from 1 March 2020, a biosimilar rituximab (Riximyo, supplied by Novartis) would be listed and would be the only funded brand of rituximab for all funded indications excluding rheumatoid arthritis from 1 September 2020 until 30 June 2023.
• the current funded brand of rituximab (Mabthera, supplied by Roche) would remain fully funded for patients with rheumatoid arthritis only

Furthermore, from 1 March 2020, funded access to rituximab (Riximyo brand only) would be widened to include the following new uses:

• maintenance for CD20+ low grade or follicular B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• graft versus host disease
• antisynthetase syndrome with lung disease
• some severe neurological conditions
• amending existing criteria for transplant indications to allow use for any organ.

Read PHARMAC Consultation