Welsh Government has approved advice from the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group (AWMSG) for five medicines.
- Dupilumab (Dupixent®) is recommended for the treatment of severe eczema in children 6 to 11 years old.
- Opicapone (Ongentys®) is recommended for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and associated movement problems in adults who are already taking medicines containing levodopa and DOPA decarboxylase inhibitors. Opicapone is recommended after entacapone.
- Lurasidone (Latuda®) is recommended for the treatment of schizophrenia in adolescents aged 13 years to 17 years. Lurasidone is already used for treatment of schizophrenia in adults.
- Idebenone (Raxone®) is recommended for the treatment of vision impairment in adults and adolescents with an eye disease called Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON).
- Melatonin (Slenyto®) is recommended for the treatment of difficulty sleeping in children and adolescents aged 2 to 18 years old who have autism spectrum disorder and/or Smith-Magenis syndrome (an inherited condition affecting the nerves and brain), when a healthy sleeping routine (such as a regular bedtime and soothing sleeping environment) has not worked well enough.
AWTTC’s Patient Access to Medicines Service (PAMS) supports the AWMSG to assess and monitor new medicines in Wales.