Media release 3 August, 2007

Novartis secures vital heart injection

PHARMAC and pharmaceutical company Novartis have reached an agreement to secure supplies of the heart medicine metoprolol tartrate injection.

Today PHARMAC and Novartis finalised an agreement to supply a different brand of metoprolol injections. Supplies have been sourced from the United States and will be available in mid-August.

“We are delighted that Novartis has pulled out all the stops to source this product for New Zealand,” says PHARMAC’s medical director Dr Peter Moodie.

“This is a vitally important medicine for use in hospitals and the agreement will ensure that supply continues to be available.”

The Novartis product is not yet registered in New Zealand, and will be supplied under Section 29 of the Medicines Act, which requires doctors to inform patients they are using an unregistered medicine. Novartis has also committed to make every effort to obtain full registration.

Initially the agreement covers enough stock to supply New Zealand for the rest of the year, with provision for a continuation after that.

Dr Moodie says the agreement with Novartis is not for sole supply of metoprolol injection, and the door is open to AstraZeneca to continue supplying its product.

ENDS