The National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) yesterday announced that 18 types of medication, including 11 types of new drugs, are to be added to National Health Insurance (NHI) coverage, and that it is expected to benefit more than 14,000 patients.
According to a consensus reached by the Pharmaceutical Benefit and Reimbursement Scheme joint committee meeting held on Dec. 21 last year, three new drugs for treating cancer, three drugs for treating rare diseases and five other new drugs, as well as seven other drugs are to be covered by the NHI, the agency said.
The three new cancer drugs are abemaciclib, a targeted drug for the treatment of early-stage breast cancer, sacituzumab govitecan, a monoclonal antibody drug conjugate for treating triple-negative breast cancer, and polatuzumab vedotin, an antibody-drug conjugate for treating diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
Photo: Chiu Chih-jou, Taipei Times
NHIA Medical Review and Pharmaceutical Benefits Division head Huang Yu-wen (黃育文) said adding abemaciclib as adjuvant therapy in early breast cancer patients with high risk of recurrence could reduce the risk of recurrence by 30 percent, and it is expected to benefit up to 2,150 people.
As there are few treatment options for triple-negative breast cancer, sacituzumab govitecan was included for patients who have received at least two sessions of systemic chemotherapy, but the tumor still has not been removed, no matter if they are a BRCA-mutant breast cancer patient or not, she said.
Although chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation is still the recommended treatment for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients, some patients cannot undergo a transplant nor chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, so polatuzumab vedotin has been included to give them another option.
Other drugs for treating cancer that are to be covered include the dabrafenib-trametinib drug combination for treating patients with braf V600E-mutant advanced non-small cell lung cancer, and obinutuzumab for treating patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the agency said.
They also include bevacizumab for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, ovarian cancer, fallopian tube cancer or peritoneal cancer; and ibrutinib for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, it said.
Stiripentol for the treatment of seizures in people with Dravet syndrome and cannabidiol for the treatment of epilepsy related to Dravet syndrome or tuberous sclerosis complex were also approved, Huang said, adding that cannabidiol is a controlled drug that is recommended as a backup treatment option.
Apremilast oral tablets for the treatment of plaque psoriasis were also included, and compared with some other systemic therapies, they are considered less likely to cause liver injuries, which would be a safer option, she said.
The NHIA said the inclusion of the 18 types of medication into NHI coverage is expected to benefit more than 14,554 patients and that they would be available from next month at the earliest.
Additional reporting by CNA
Taiwan last night blanked world No. 1 Japan 4-0 to win the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 for the first time. Taiwanese ace Lin Yu-min (林昱珉) held defending champions Japan to just one hit and no runs in the first four innings, before catcher Lin Chia-cheng (林家正) opened the fifth inning with a solo home run. That was soon followed by a three-run homer from Taiwanese captain Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲) to put Taiwan ahead in the prestigious tournament of the world’s top 12 baseball teams. In addition to a superb performance from 21-year-old Arizona Diamondbacks prospect Lin, three more Taiwanese pitchers
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s biggest contract chipmaker, yesterday held an equipment installation ceremony for its first 2-nanometer fab in Kaohsiung, six months ahead of schedule, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said. “To cope with the strong global demand for advanced chips, TSMC is to start moving in equipment for its first-ever 2-nanometer fab half a year earlier than scheduled,” Chen said at an question-and-answer session at the Kaohsiung City Council. TSMC’s 2-nanometer process technology would help accelerate the development of artificial intelligence (AI) applications as well as the transformation of local industries in Kaohsiung, Chen said in a
TEAM TAIWAN: While lawmakers proposed declaring Nov. 24 a national day, the CPBL commissioner urged the legislature to pass the budget for sports development Lawmakers yesterday proposed designating Nov. 24 as National Baseball Day and updating the design of the NT$500 bill to honor the national team’s victory in the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s Premier12 championship on Sunday, as thousands of fans came out to see the players parade down the streets of Taipei. Players, coaches and staff from the national team returned home on Monday night after achieving their best-ever performance in an international baseball tournament. After receiving a rapturous welcome at the airport, the players turned out yesterday for a street parade in front of thousands of adoring fans waving Taiwanese flags and
Taiwan moved clear of Mexico to be the only country at No. 2 in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Men’s Baseball World Rankings. Meanwhile, draft bills to set up a ministry of sports were approved at a joint session at the legislature in Taipei yesterday. After previously being tied with Mexico for second on 4,118 points, Taiwan moved clear on 5,498 points after they defeated Japan in the final of the WBSC Premier12 tournament on Sunday. Mexico (4,729) dropped to fourth, behind Venezuela (4,846), who finished fourth at the tournament. Taiwan narrowed the gap to first-placed Japan to 1,368 points from 1,638, WBSC
RSS