The drug Onasemnogene abeparvovec (Zolgensma) will be used as treatment for spinal muscle atrophy (SMA) in Norway. Helse Vest writes this in a press release after the Decision Forum for New Methods met on Monday.
The drug has been described as the world’s most expensive medicine, and costs over 20 million kroner for a cure, NTB has previously written. Zolgensma is a gene therapy that is given once.
SMA is a serious, rare disease that causes muscle wasting. The cause is a genetic defect. In Norway, it is estimated that about 50 people under the age of 18 have SMA, while the figure for people over the age of 18 is not known, according to Helsenorge.no.
– The decision made today is the result of a long process and a thorough assessment where it has been crucial to have a good and close dialogue with clinicians in this field. We experience that there has been a good and orderly collaboration with the supplier and are pleased that we have reached an agreement, says leader of the Decision Forum and CEO of Health West, Inger Cathrine Bryne, in the press release.
The treatment will be available at Oslo University Hospital.
– Here, the parties have arrived at a reasonable risk sharing that makes it possible to make the drug available in Norway. This will hopefully mean a lot to Norwegian patients and relatives, says Inger Cathrine Bryne.
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