21 March 2014 - PHARMAC and Sandoz, a Novartis New Zealand Limited company, have reached a provisional agreement to fund Omnitrope, a brand of the human growth hormone somatropin.This proposal would result in:

• Omnitrope becoming the only subsidised brand of growth hormone from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2017. This change would mean that there are three strengths of growth hormone listed on the Pharmaceutical Schedule, instead of the current two.

• Genotropin, the currently listed brand of somatropin would be delisted from 1 January 2015.

• Changing the restrictions applying to the prescription of growth hormone for children and adults in Section B and Part II of Section H of the Pharmaceutical Schedule from 1 July 2014. The changes to the restrictions will not affect patient access to growth hormone.

• The disestablishment of the Paediatric and Adult Growth Hormone Panels.  Individual patients’ physicians would be responsible for applying for and writing prescriptions for somatropin for their patients in accordance with the Special Authority criteria.

• Changes to the current direct distribution model of growth hormone.  Patients would collect Omnitrope from their community pharmacy.

For more details, go to: http://www.pharmac.health.nz/news/consultation-2014-03-21-somatropin/