Department of Health reaches deal on new drugs

The Irish Times - Tuesday, June 19, 2012

FIONA GARTLAND

NEW DRUGS for the treatment of conditions including multiple sclerosis, bipolar disorder and hepatitis C are to be made available following an agreement between the Department of Health and the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association.

The department announced last night it had reached a deal with the association to deliver savings worth 20 million a year.

The savings will allow the Health Service Executive to approve the release of new, more expensive drugs.

Drugs to be released will include Brilique, to prevent thrombosis in patients with acute coronary syndromes; Gilenya, for multiple sclerosis; Sycrest, for bipolar disorder; and Incivo and Victrelis, both for hepatitis C.

Pradaxa, for the prevention of stroke, which had been released for a short period and then withdrawn, is also to be made available. An alternative to blood thinner Warfarin, the drug is believed to be safer and more effective for patients with atrial fibrillation, or an irregular heartbeat.

The National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics had approved most of the drugs as cost-effective, and under a former agreement between the HSE and the pharmaceutical association the new medicines were to be made available within 40 days of an approval decision.

But when that agreement ran out in March this year the release of new drugs was stalled.

The department said the drugs were not released because of lack of funds to pay for them.

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Department of Health reaches deal on new drugs