ISENTRESS Now Funded for NZ HIV Patients

ISENTRESS Now Funded for NZ HIV Patients

New Zealand HIV patients will now have another fully funded treatment option thanks to PHARMAC reimbursing ISENTRESSTM (raltegravir) from 1 October 2009.

ISENTRESS is the first in a new class of medications called integrase inhibitors. It works by preventing HIV viral DNA inserting into human DNA thereby blocking the ability of the virus to replicate and infect new cells.

ISENTRESS is used in combination with two other active HIV medications and is for patients whose HIV has developed resistance to a number of the existing treatments and do not have many other medication options.

Dr Simon Briggs, Infectious Diseases Physician at Auckland City Hospital, says, "This is great news for people with HIV infection who have limited treatment options, and for the doctors treating them.”

"The funding of ISENTRESS is timely as some of these patients have been waiting for new, funded HIV medications for some years.”

Bruce Kilmister, CEO of Body Positive, also welcomed the funding of ISENTRESS. "ISENTRESS becoming funded is extremely timely for people living with HIV."

ISENTRESS has been developed by Merck & Co Inc. The Acting Managing Director of its New Zealand subsidiary, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Mark Vanderwee, says, "We are delighted that PHARMAC has agreed to fund ISENTRESS and that it will become more accessible to New Zealanders."

ISENTRESS will be subject to the same special authority restrictions that apply to other funded anti-retrovirals (NNRTI, NRTI, and PI) as at 1 October 2009.

ENDS

Please note the Minimum Product Information is contained in the following pages

RTG-09-NZ-5543-PR
TAPS Approval No: NA 3708

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. AIDS Info At a Glance. New Class of Anti-HIV Drugs: Updated Information about Integrase Inhibitors on AIDSinfo. Available at: http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/ListServ/PreviewPage.aspx?pageID=20. Accessed May 11, 2007.U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Drugs Used in the Treatment of HIV Infection.

Hazuda DJ, Felock P, Witmer M, et al. Inhibitors of strand transfer that prevent integration and inhibit HIV-1 replication in cells. Science 2000; 287: 646-50.

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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE USING ISENTRESS (raltegravir) 400 mg tablet. ISENTRESS is indicated in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in treatment-experienced patients with evidence of HIV-1 replication despite ongoing antiretroviral therapy. ISENTRESS should not be taken by pregnant or nursing women, children or by patients who have a hypersensitivity reaction. Precaution should be taken when administering ISENTRESS to patients with indolent or residual opportunistic infections. Caution should be used when co-administering ISENTRESS with strong inducers of uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 1A1 (e.g., rifampin). Common side effects are: diarrhoea, nausea, headache, abdominal pain, fatigue and dizziness. ISENTRESS is a private purchase prescription only medicine that the patient will need to pay for. Price may vary across pharmacies. Consult your doctor to see if ISENTRESS is right for you, a normal doctors visit fee will usually apply. Use only as directed and if symptoms continue or you have side effects, see your doctor, pharmacist or health professional. Marketed by: Merck Sharp & Dohme (NZ) Limited, Newmarket, Auckland. For detailed prescribing information, consult the data sheet or consumer medicine information phone 0800 500 673 or refer to the Medsafe website www.medsafe.govt.nz .

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