GIVLAARI has already received approval for the treatment of acute hepatic porphyria (AHP) in Canada, according to an article from Nasdaq. Now, the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) has recommended this treatment for reimbursement as well.
About the Recommendation
This recommendation advises that public health plans reimburse the cost of GIVLAARI under certain conditions. One of the major conditions is that the drug’s price is cut in half, or by 57% to be exact. Others include:
- GIVLAARI was prescribed by a physician experienced in treating AHP
- GIVLAARI was not prescribed as a preventative therapy
Under the terms of the recommendation, the reimbursement of GIVLAARI should be renewed after one year if a patient’s annualized attack rate drops. You can read more about CADTH’s decision here.
About AHP
AHP is characterized by high levels of porphyrin, which occurs when the chemicals responsible for porphyrin production accumulate. This leads to issues with heme production, which then allows certain toxins to build up and cause the characteristic symptoms of the disease. These symptoms may appear in episodes or persist to be chronic symptoms, and they include:
- Severe abdominal pain
- This is the main symptom and is typically joined by at least one other
- Rapid heartbeat
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Fatigue
- Chest and/or back pain
- Confusion
- Seizures
- Muscle weakness
There is no cure for AHP; however, intravenous hemin is used during attacks. Other treatments may be used to address specific symptoms as well. Additionally, GIVLAARI exists to reduce the number of attacks one experiences.
