2024-10-18 06:10:00
Additional treatment options for prostate cancer, ovarian cancer and endometriosis have been added to the list of benefits. Photo: Pixabay
At the beginning of October, the Health Insurance Fund updated the list of priority medicines, adding new treatment options for attention deficit disorder, chronic migraine, certain types of cancer and multiple sclerosis. The funding conditions for drugs already on the list have also been extended, making some drugs even better accessible to patients, BNS reports.
The drug Adixemin, which contains the active substance lisdexamfetamine dimesylate, has been added to the list of subsidized drugs, the cost of which is now being reimbursed for patients with attention and activity disorders where adequate treatment with methylphenidate and atomoxetine has been ineffective or there were side effects. they were forced to stop treatment. “Until now, lisdexamfetamine (Elvans) has been reimbursed on an individual application basis only on an exceptional basis, and the addition of the drug Adixemin to the list of priority drugs will reduce the administrative burden for both doctors and GPs. the Health Insurance Fund while preparing and resolving individual applications.” ,” explained Getter Hark, head of the drug reimbursement service at the Health Insurance Fund.
To expand treatment options for chronic migraine, a drug containing the active substance atogepant was added to the list of preferred drugs, which is the next oral option to injectable drugs.
The drug Kinpeigo for the treatment of immunoglobulin A nephropathy (Berger’s disease) has also been added to the list. Immune Globulin Nephropathy (IgAN) is a rare, progressive disease that causes a chronic loss of kidney function in humans over time and is one of the leading causes of chronic and end-stage kidney disease. The disease is diagnosed more often in young patients – the average age at diagnosis is 33.7 years. Patients diagnosed with IgAN typically have a reduced life expectancy of approximately 10 years and a mortality risk of approximately twice that of the general population. If this treatment option is added to the budget, there will be additional costs of approximately 300,000 euros for the Health Insurance Fund in the first year.
“The potential benefit of budesonide in the treatment of IgA nephropathy is delaying the progression of chronic kidney disease. This is one of the pillars of the long-term follow-up and treatment of patients with chronic kidney disease, giving the opportunity to improve the survival of these patients. In the last five years, 75 cases of IgA nephropathy have been confirmed by kidney biopsy in Estonia, which is an average of 15 patients per year. Of these, in turn, between five and six patients meet the criteria to start treatment with budesonide,” explained Hark.
In October, the drug Besremy was added to the list of funded drugs, which are estimated to be needed by between 13 and 43 patients in the coming years, bringing additional costs of up to €600,000 to the Health Insurance Fund. The drug is used to treat polycythemia vera, a relatively rare disease in which the bone marrow produces too many red blood cells and other blood cells. “In Estonia, all drugs previously used for this indication disappeared from the market many years ago, and the other unlicensed drug Pegasys has been fully reimbursed by the Health Insurance Fund in recent years. It was difficult to organize drug orders, however, and because of supply disruptions, people’s treatment could be interrupted,” explained Getter Hark.
Since October, the drug with the active substance avapritinib has also been reimbursed for patients with advanced systemic mastocytosis. It is a rare, fatal disease with a life expectancy of two months to six years, depending on the subtype. Avapritinib is the first medicine to receive funding for this specific indication in Estonia: three to seven patients require treatment, which brings additional costs to the Health Insurance Fund budget of more than half a million euros.
The Health Insurance Fund has started to finance medication with the active substance fedratinib, which is used to treat myelofibrosis. This is a malignant tumor of the hematopoietic system, which significantly shortens the life of the patient. Most patients suffer from splenomegaly, or an enlarged spleen, and the volume of the spleen can be 10 to 20 times larger than normal, causing serious illness. It is estimated that 23-27 patients will require treatment in the following years, which will bring additional costs to the drug reimbursement budget of approximately EUR 650,000 in the first year.
“Additional treatment options for prostate cancer, ovarian cancer and endometriosis have also been added to the list of benefits. Although they do not impose significant additional costs on the Health Insurance Fund’s drug reimbursement budget, they significantly expand treatment options for many patients. We have also simplified the conditions for prescribing oral antithrombotic drugs (dabigatran and rivaroxaban), compensating them from October at a higher priority rate for the treatment of venous thrombosis and the prevention of recurrent thrombosis, explained Getter Hark, adding that patients only have so far. 50% of the cost of the medicines was reimbursed. “Last year, around 8,000 patients benefited from medicines with such a discount, which means that this update of the priority list reduces the cost of treating thousands of patients and is in line with the recommendations of the treatment guidelines international.”
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