Pharmac to fund injectable letermovir to prevent cytomegalovirus infection
Pharmac will fund the injectable form of letermovir (marketed as Prevymis) from 1 December to prevent cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in people who have had an allogenic haematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT), or who are severely immunosuppressed.
Pharmac’s Manager Pharmaceutical Funding Michaela Lion, says the decision to fund letermovir in injectable form follows Pharmac’s decision on 1 May this year to fund the treatment in tablet form.
Clinicians advised Pharmac that relying solely on the tablet formulation could create challenges with accurate dosing for some patients and may not be suitable for patients who have difficulty swallowing tablets.
Letermovir in tablet form will remain funded and available for patients alongside the injectable form and will be available for use in hospitals and community pharmacies.
Lion says CMV is a common, usually harmless virus most people are exposed to in childhood.
“CMV stays in the body for life without causing problems for most people but can cause serious illness in people whose immune systems are not working properly, particularly those who have had an allo-HSCT.”
She says letermovir works by preventing CMV from becoming active, and it has been tremendous to hear pharmacists and clinicians report no cases of CMV reactivation or infection in this group of patients since letermovir was funded earlier this year.
Preventing CMV can help reduce serious illness and complications, avoid long hospital stays and intensive treatment, and support people to recover at home sooner and spend less time away from whānau, Lion says.
It is estimated up to 56 people will benefit from using the injectable form of letermovir in the first 12 months.