To take care of patients with rare diseases, the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA), hereinafter referred to as NHIA, proactively introduces precision treatments such as biologic therapies using satralizumab and inebilizumab to treat anti-aquaporin-4[AQP4] antibody- positive Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders (NMOSD). Compared to conventional treatments like oral cortisol medicines and immunosuppressive agents, biologic therapy has been clinically proven to significantly reduce relapse rates, making it beneficial for inclusion in the NHI package.

Following the Pharmaceutical Benefit and Reimbursement Scheme Joint Committee Meeting that took place on August 17, 2023, two monoclonal antibody biologic therapy drugs used to treat NMOSD will be included in the NHI package starting from October 1, 2023. The new measure is estimated to benefit 121 patients. The average medication expense for these patients exceeds NT$2 million per person per year, and the NHI spends around NT$2,420 million annually on this disease.

NHIA specifies that NMOSD is a rare autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of the central nervous system, resulting in damage to the optic nerves, spinal cord, and brainstem. During relapse, patients will experience pain, weakness, paralysis, loss of vision, and loss of bladder or bowel control. Repeated relapses mean that patients will require assistance and care from others. In the past, specific medications for treating NMOSD were unavailable, and patients could only take systemic immunosuppressive agents such as oral corticosteroids, azathioprine, or mycophenolate mofetil, which have strong side effects. Therefore, the introduction of these precision treatment drugs is expected to effectively reduce relapses and improve the patients’ quality of life.

NHIA further explained that, to cater to the uniqueness and demands of rare diseases, the objective of this year is to streamline the review process for rare disease drugs and proactively include new drugs for rare diseases in the NHI package to achieve 100% budget execution rate. However, the NHI resources are limited, and NHIA shall strive to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies for reasonable prices, giving priority to drugs that have been clinically proven to be effective to maximize the number of patients who can benefited.