The National Health Care Institute has advised the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) to reimburse deflazacort (Deflazacort XGX Pharma®) from the basic healthcare package. This medicine can be used in certain patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a rare muscle disease. If the Minister adopts our advice, deflazacort will be included in the Medicine Reimbursement System (GVS). Only then will this medicinal product be reimbursed from the healthcare insurer's basic healthcare package. We do recommend additional conditions for reimbursement.
Current state of affairs: advisory report sent to the Minister
The National Health Care Institute has sent this advice to the Minister of VWS. The Minister makes the final decision whether or not to reimburse the medicinal product from the basic healthcare package.
Deflazacort is intended for people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Deflazacort is the active substance. The brand name is Deflazacort XGX Pharma®. The medicine is a tablet that you swallow.
It can be used in people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). This muscle disease is caused by a defect in the piece of DNA needed to produce a protein that protects the muscles. A lack of this protein causes the muscles to break down and increases muscle weakness. This rare disease occurs mainly in boys and is often discovered before the age of five. At some point, the affected muscles can no longer be used and patients need a wheelchair.
Advice of the National Health Care Institute on the reimbursement of deflazacort
The National Health Care Institute advises the Minister of VWS to reimburse deflazacort (Deflazacort XGX Pharma®) from the basic healthcare package. The advice is to include the medicinal product in List 1B of the GVS. Deflazacort XGX Pharma® is subject to certain additional conditions, the so-called List 2 conditions.
For more information on the GVS and the Lists 1A, 1B and 2, see page ‘Reimbursement of outpatient medicines’.
Conditions for reimbursement of deflazacort
Only for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy who experience unacceptable adverse reactions on prednisone and are being treated at a centre of expertise.
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 VWS asks the National Health Care Institute to make an assessment. The Minister makes the final decision whether or not to reimburse the medicinal product from the basic healthcare package.
Explanation about the reimbursement of medicinal products
Deflazacort is an extramural drug. Extramural means: medicines for home use that can be obtained at the pharmacy with the prescription from a physician. They are only reimbursed from the basic healthcare package if they are listed in the GVS.