Pharmac is consulting on a proposal to widen access to
denosumab for more people with osteoporosis and people who
have high levels of calcium in their blood and have
cancer.
Denosumab stops the body breaking down bones
and also removes excess calcium in the blood.
“This
medicine would help maintain peoples bone strength and is
used to keep the calcium levels in their body healthy,”
says Alexandra Compton, Pharmac Senior Therapeutic Group
Manager/Team Leader.
If the funding is
approved, about 1,900 more people would receive denosumab
during the first year of funding, increasing to about 12,500
people in total, after five
years.
Pharmac currently funds a
denosumab 60 mg injection (branded as Prolia) for people
with severe osteoporosis and is looking to widen access to
people who can’t use other funded treatments, or if their
condition isn’t improving when using
these.
“Funding denosumab would provide with another
treatment option for people with osteoporosis and would be
an easier way for them to receive treatment as they can give
themselves the injection.”
The proposal also
includes funding a denosumab 120 mg injection (branded as
Xgeva) for the first time. This would be for people who have
high levels of calcium in their blood (hypercalcemia) and
have cancer.
“When people have high levels of
calcium in their blood and have cancer, they often need to
go to hospital to get treatment. Having the denosumab
injection available would reduce this,” says
Compton.
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“Providing more access to denosumab is
expected to free up health sector resource which would
otherwise be used help people needing treatment for broken
bones or high calcium and their ongoing
care.”
Pharmac’s public consultation is open now
until 14 November.
The Government provided
additional funding to Pharmac in June 2024 to fund new
medicines and to widen access to medicines that are already
funded. The funding boost covers medicines for both cancer
and non-cancer health
conditions.
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