The National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) convened the Pharmaceutical Benefit and Reimbursement Scheme Joint Committee Meeting on December 21, 2023. To align with international guidelines, the committee formulated a policy focusing on timely treatments and frontline therapies. Additionally, numerous new drugs have been added to the NHI package, and various payment regulations have been relaxed. These include:1)New cancer drugs for various types of cancer, including early-stage breast cancer and late-stage or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. 2)New drugs for rare diseases, such as Dravet syndrome. 3)Other new drugs for conditions like psoriasis.
In total, 11 new drugs have been added, and 7 payment regulations have been relaxed. This expansion has resulted in an injection of NT$5.7 billion into drug expenses, benefiting over 14,554 patients.
The NHIA stated that this meeting approved the inclusion of new cancer drugs containing abemaciclib, which are effective in reducing the recurrence rate for patients with early-stage breast cancer by 30% or more. Additionally, the meeting sanctioned the use of targeted therapy containing sacituzumab govitecan for patients with triple-negative breast cancer, with and without BRCA gene mutations, potentially extending patients' overall survival by 5.4 months.
Additionally, to support more cancer patients and alleviate the financial burden on their families, the approval was granted for the inclusion of new drugs containing polatuzumab vedotin for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. This offers an alternative for patients ineligible for CAR T-cell therapy. Moreover, drugs containing dabrafenib and trametinib for late-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), offering an overall survival of 18.2 months, and drugs containing obinutuzumab for lymphoblastic leukemia, resulting in a progression-free survival of 13.2 months, were also approved. Furthermore, the payment regulations for two cancer drugs were relaxed: one containing bevacizumab, used to treat ovarian cancer, fallopian tube cancer, and peritoneal cancer, and another containing ibrutinib, used to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia with 17p deletion. This relaxation was possible because the pharmaceutical companies agreed to reduce their prices.
The NHIA has consistently prioritized access to medications for patients with rare diseases. In its recent meeting, the inclusion of drugs containing stiripentol and cannabidiol was approved as adjunctive treatments for epilepsy in patients with Dravet syndrome. Notably, drugs containing cannabidiol were also approved as adjunctive treatments for epilepsy in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex. Additionally, for patients with psoriasis experiencing frequent episodes, the meeting approved an oral tablet containing apremilast. Compared to conventional systemic therapies, this tablet presents a safer option due to its negligible hepatotoxicity and renal toxicity, offering an alternative treatment for these patients.
This joint committee meeting sanctioned the inclusion of numerous drugs to align with international treatment standards and safeguard the rights of patients with rare diseases. The expedited inclusion of new drugs and the relaxation of payment regulations are set to benefit patients with cancer, rare diseases, and psoriasis significantly. These measures aim to ensure the optimal allocation of limited resources to benefit the greatest number of patients. The aforementioned initiatives will be implemented progressively starting February 2024.