Advice - reimburse tebentafusp (Kimmtrak®) for the treatment of eye cancer
The National Health Care Institute has advised the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) to reimburse tebentafusp (Kimmtrak®) from the basic health insurance package. This medicinal product is used for treating certain patients with uveal melanoma, a form of eye cancer. The reason for this advice was the medicinal product being placed in what is known as the ‘lock procedure for expensive medicinal products’.
Tebentafusp is intended for certain people with eye cancer
Tebentafusp is the active substance; the brand name is Kimmtrak®. The medicinal product is administered into the blood by intravenous infusion.
The medicinal product can be used in people with eye cancer, more specifically adult patients who are positive for the human leukocyte antigen HLA-A*02:01 and have either a non-resectable or metastasised uveal melanoma. Non-resectable means that the cancer cannot be surgically removed; metastasised means that the cancer has spread. Uveal melanoma is a kind of cancer in the eye. If a person has a melanoma in or around the eye, it will generally have originated in the middle layer of the eye, known as the uvea.
Advice from the National Health Care Institute on the reimbursement of tebentafusp
The National Health Care Institute advises the Minister of VWS to reimburse tebentafusp (Kimmtrak®) from the basic health insurance 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 Scientific Advisory Board (WAR) and the Insured Package Advisory Committee (ACP) advise the National Health Care Institute about the assessment. The Minister makes the final decision whether or not to reimburse the medication from the basic health care package.
Lock procedure for expensive medicinal products
The Minister has placed tebentafusp 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’.