Posted by Michael Wonder on 05 Dec 2019
Decision to widen access to rituximab and award sole supply
5 December 2019 - PHARMAC has made a decision to make changes to the funding of rituximab, including widening access and changing brands.
From 1 March 2020 a biosimilar rituximab (Riximyo, supplied by Novartis) will be funded.
The Riximyo brand will be funded for all new and existing patients requiring rituximab except patients with rheumatoid arthritis and the following new indications:
- Maintenance for CD20+ low grade or follicular B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Graft versus host disease
- Antisynthetase syndrome with lung disease
- Anti NMDA receptor encephalitis
- Severe chronic inflammatory demyelinating neuropathy
- Amending existing criteria for transplant indications to allow use for any organ
