The New Zealand Crown health agency, Pharmaceutical Management Agency (PHARMAC), has announced that funding four new medications tailored for the treatment of respiratory diseases, which may help more than 10,000 people in the country. The agency is responsible for deciding which products are subsidized in the community and public hospitals in New Zealand.
Starting at the beginning of the next month, glycopyrronium and indacaterol for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), omalizumab for severe allergic asthma, and an inhalation form of the antibiotic tobramycin for cystic fibrosis, will receive public funding. The decision aims to fill the unmeet need for therapeutic options for the respiratory conditions, according to PHARMAC’s director of operations, Sarah Fitt.
