New Zealand RA Sufferers Denied Medicines Access

New Zealand RA Sufferers Denied Medicines Access

Access to biologic treatments for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in New Zealand is well below uptake in developed countries such as the UK and Australia, a recent study shows.

Whereas close to 13% of RA patients in UK and Australia have access to biologic treatments, only 3-4% has access in New Zealand.

This latest report which was presented at a breakfast function at Parliament this morning, is authored by leading international Health Economics Professor, Gisela Kobelt, who estimates the cost of RA to New Zealand’s health system in 2008 to be close to NZ$350m, with approximately 16,000 people over 19yrs of age affected by the disease.

Data emerging from treatment registries in Sweden, Denmark and Scotland, show that earlier treatment with biologics provides substantial improvement in patients quality of life, as well as savings in health care cost and sick leaves through reductions in hospital visits and lost work days.

RA is one of the most severe among chronic progressive diseases, characterised by inflammation and joint damage and affecting all aspects of patients’ lives from education and employment through to family and social life.

The report ‘Access to innovative treatments for rheumatoid arthritis in New Zealand’ points out that as well as funding hurdles, there are many additional determinants of access to biologic medicines, including affordability, treatment guidelines and access to specialists.

Sandra Kirby, Chief Executive of Arthritis New Zealand hopes this report will help highlight the importance of investing in more biologic options being made available in New Zealand: “Here we have a disease, where in its most severe form can debilitate a patients quality of life to someone with severe dementia or terminal phase AIDS. Costs associated with arthritis are comparable with the cost of diabetes and yet because arthritis is not considered a main health priority in New Zealand, we are not getting the latest treatments that can make a real difference to those patients who need it the most.”

Ms. Kirby acknowledged that the announcement by PHARMAC that they are considering providing funding for a second TNF inhibitor will go some way to address the issue of access in New Zealand but notes: “No two biologics are the same and patients who don’t respond to one treatment may respond to another. There is only one treatment currently funded in New Zealand, and while there may be two soon we know there are six funded in Australia.”

ENDS

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