The National Health Care Institute has advised the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) to reimburse bimekizumab (Bimzelx®) from the basic health care package. This medicinal product can be used in certain patients with axial spondylarthritis. This is a chronic disease with inflammations in the back and pelvis. The reason for this advice was the placing of the medicinal product in the so-called ‘lock procedure for expensive medicinal products’.
Bimekizumab is intended for certain people with axial spondylarthritis
Bimekizumab is the active substance. The brand name is Bimzelx®. The medicine is an injection into the skin that can be self-administered with a pre-filled pen or syringe.
The medicinal product can be used for people with axial spondylarthritis. This is a chronic disease with inflammations in the back and pelvis. In this case, chronic means that the disease does not go away. Axial spondylarthritis is a form of spondylarthritis. Spondylarthritis is a collective name for a group of rheumatic diseases. In axial spondylarthritis, patients are particularly affected in their pelvis and spine. Back pain and back stiffness are common.
Advice from the National Health Care Institute on the reimbursement of bimekizumab
The National Health Care Institute advises the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport to reimburse bimekizumab (Bimzelx®) from the basic health care package.
More information or questions?
If you have any questions about this advice, please send your question to the National Health Care Institute via warcg@zinl.nl. If you have questions about the reimbursement of a medicinal product, the personal expenses or whether you should pay a contribution, please ask your health insurance provider.
How did the advice come about?
The Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) asks the National Health Care Institute to carry out an assessment. The final decision as to whether or not reimbursement from the basic healthcare package will take place lies with the Minister.
Lock procedure for expensive medicinal products
The Minister has placed bimekizumab for this indication in the lock procedure for expensive medicinal products. A medicinal product in this lock procedure will not be eligible for reimbursement from the basic health care package until:
- there is a positive package advice from the National Health Care Institute;
- there are arrangements and safeguards for appropriateness in place;
- price reductions have been successfully negotiated with the manufacturer.
For more information, see the page ‘Lock procedure for expensive medicinal products’.