The Minister for Health has confirmed this evening that he and the Government will do all they can for cystic fibrosis patients hoping to obtain the revolutionary new drug Orkambi.
The drug which is deemed a miracle treatment has not been made available to patients here because the it is deemed too expensive, could yet still be made available if negotiations with it’s manufacturer on price are successful.
The news comes after the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics ruled that the HSE should not supply the drug as would cost in the region of €158,000 per year per patient. However there was renewed hope this evening as clinical director of the organisation says the manufacturer got the price wrong.
In response to the recent price confusion Health Minister Simon Harris said the drug could yet be made available, Mr Harris told reporters: “This process is far from finished, there is significant work to do to negotiate on price, I want that negotiation to continue as a priority, I have conveyed my view on that to the HSE today.”