Popular heart drug deal saves $15M

Popular heart drug deal saves $15M

PHARMAC has secured supply of a popular blood pressure drug and in the process will save $15 million over the next three years.

Quinapril (Accupril) is the most commonly-prescribed of the ACE Inhibitor blood pressure-lowering drugs. Available in 5mg, 10mg and 20mg doses, it is taken by about 100,000 New Zealanders.

The agreement with Pfizer covers both quinapril and a related combination product, quinapril with hydrochlorothiazide (Accuretic). Patients will be able to continue using these products while a price reduction means about $5 million per year will be saved for the next three years.

PHARMAC Chief Executive Wayne McNee says the Pfizer agreement is the sort of win-win agreement that the Government drug funder is constantly striving for.

“The beauty of this type of agreement is that patients won’t notice any change at all, while we see $15 million freed up from the pharmaceutical budget,” Wayne McNee says. “These are funds that can be used to purchase new medicines.”

“The sole supply agreement also ensures that this brand of quinapril will continue to be supplied to New Zealanders for the next three years.”

Accupril will be the sole subsidised brand of quinapril until at least 2008. It is the original brand of quinapril and supplied by the world’s largest drug company, Pfizer.

ENDS