Cystic fibrosis medicines will soon reach patients
The Minister of Health decides to add medicines for the treatment of cystic fibrosis to the list of reimbursable medicines. Patients will be able to buy these reimbursable medicines in pharmacies from 7 October, subject to a doctor's prescription.
Minister of Health Aurimas Pečkauskas says that this is the first time that cystic fibrosis patients will be reimbursed at state expense. "A couple of years of process has been crowned with success. Dozens of people suffering from this disease will receive help. I would like to thank all those who participated in this reimbursement process, which required a lot of effort and patience. Over the last few years, funding for rare and ultra-rare diseases has more than tripled, with 30 new medicines added to the A list of reimbursable medicines in just nine months of this year, which gives hope that as the state's capacity grows more and more patients will be helped by the state," said Mr Pečkauskas.
The following products for cystic fibrosis are included in the list of reimbursable medicines: ivacaftor, tezacaftor and elexacaftor (Kaftrio) and ivacaftor (Kalydeco). They will be prescribed for patients aged 2 years and older with at least one F508del mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene.
Cystic fibrosis is a rare genetic disorder in which glandular dysfunction affects other organs such as the lungs or pancreas. From January 2022, all newborns in Lithuania are tested for this rare disease.
Cystic fibrosis treatment has so far been covered by reimbursement of systemic antibacterial drugs, respiratory drugs and enzyme preparations - 11 active substances in total. In 2023, 71 patients were treated with reimbursable medicines from the List A of reimbursable medicines for cystic fibrosis. The cost of reimbursement from the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund for these medicines amounted to EUR 239.77 thousand.