Advice - Reimburse deucravacitinib (Sotyktu®) for the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis
The National Health Care Institute has advised the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) to reimburse deucravacitinib (Sotyktu®) from the basic health care package after price negotiations. This medicinal product can be used in certain patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. The reason for this advice was the placing of the product in the so-called ‘lock procedure for expensive medicinal products’.
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 medication from the basic health care package.
Deucravacitinib is intended for people with moderate-to-severe psoriasis
Deucravacitinib is the active substance. The brand name is Sotyktu®. The medicinal product can be used in adult patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic treatment. The medicine should be taken orally as a tablet. This treatment is only desirable if the standard medicinal products do not work properly, if their effect has diminished, or if the patient has an adverse reaction. This can be due, for example, to side effects of these medicinal products.
Psoriasis is a skin disease with red spots and white flakes. Plaque psoriasis is the most well-known and common form of psoriasis. Plaques can occur at different places on the body: it often affects the elbows, knees and hairy scalp. These spots can cause itching or pain. The severity of the disease is determined by several factors, such as the site of the plaques, the extent of the skin abnormalities and the impact on the quality of life.
The standard treatment consists of cream, ointment or liquid for the psoriasis sites. Light therapy can also be used. If there are many psoriasis sites on the body or the aforementioned treatments do not work, deucravacitinib can be taken orally.
Advice from the National Health Care Institute on reimbursement of deucravacitinib
The National Health Care Institute has advised the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) to reimburse deucravacitinib (Sotyktu®) from the basic health care package after price negotiations.
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 Scientific Advisory Board (WAR) advises the National Health Care Institute about the assessment. Based on the assessment, the National Health Care Institute sends an advisory report to the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport. The Minister makes the final decision whether or not to reimburse the medicinal product from the basic health care package.
Lock procedure for expensive medicinal products
The Minister has placed abemaciclib 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’.
This report is a summary of recommendations by the National Health Care Institute. The original text is in Dutch.