Monday, January 09, 2006

PHARMAC and its spending choices

Insider has shown an interest in PHARMAC, New Zealands' medicine purse holder, since they had the sense not to take on COX 2's (unlike their nearest neighbour, Australia).

http://pharmagossip.blogspot.com/2005/10/coxibs-kiwis-beat-aussies.html

Here's what they are planning to spend on in the near future:

Drug /Investment type /Treats /5-year investment (NPV NZ$)

Adalimumab/ New medicine /Rheumatoid arthritis /$35 million
Alendronate/ Wider access/ Osteoporosis /$8.9 million
Gabapentin /Wider access /Pain relief /$18 million
Low-dose aspirin /New medicine/ Heart disease/ $17 million
Mycophenolate/ Wider access /Transplant rejection/ $8 million
Oxycodone/ New medicine/ Pain relief /$5 million
Pioglitazone /Wider access /Diabetes /$0.7 million
Ropinirole and entacapone /New medicines /Parkinsons Disease/ $2.4 million
Salmeterol /Wider access /Asthma/ $8 million

Total: a parsimonious NZ $103 million, over the next 5 years! Money well spent, in Insiders' view. Perhaps the breaking news on glitazones and macular oedema might lead to the pioglitazone decision being reviewed? But, other than that, a sensible use of resources!
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0601/S00008.htm

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