Louise O'Reilly
Question:459. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the status of the provision of respreeza for patients with alpha-1. [28037/19]
View answerTuesday, 2 July 2019
Questions (459)
Written answers
The HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on the pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. The HSE carefully considered the pricing and reimbursement of human alpha1-proteinase inhibitor (Respreeza). The manufacturer was notified in August 2017 that the HSE was unable to recommend reimbursement. The HSE concluded that there was not enough evidence to suggest that patients would derive a clinically meaningful benefit from this treatment and that the current price was not a cost effective use of resources. I understand that the HSE and the applicant have since signed a ring-fenced agreement for the continued supply of this medicine to the patients involved in the original patient access programme, which starts from the commencement of the next Respreeza clinical trial. This is expected to commence this year.