Heart Foundation welcomes news of funded treatment for heart failure patients

Published: 12 November 2024

The Heart Foundation's call for wider access to a heart medication has been successful, with Pharmac announcing today that it will fund a drug used in the treatment of chronic heart failure, a move that will benefit more than 18,000 New Zealanders over the next 12 months.

The drug (empagliflozin) will be available to people who have chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). About half of all people with chronic heart failure have this type.

Empagliflozin belongs to a class of medicines called SGLT2 inhibitors. Evidence demonstrates that SGLT2 inhibitors can ease the associated symptoms of heart failure, protect the heart, delay kidney failure, reduce heart failure related hospitalisations and help people live longer.

Medical Director of the Heart Foundation, Dr Gerry Devlin says access to empagliflozin is great news for people with chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and will give a New Zealander with the condition an extra six years of life.

“We have been calling for funding of this drug for some time. Widening access will have a significant impact on improving the quality of life for many heart failure patients and improving the heart health of New Zealanders,” says Gerry.

“While this is a positive step, there remain many New Zealanders with other forms of heart failure who would benefit from these drugs, and we will continue to advocate for them so they can live longer, healthier lives.”

Maggie Hunt (age 72) had a heart attack 12 years ago and lives with heart failure. She was prescribed empagliflozin two years ago and since then her health has been excellent. While she has been funding the drug herself, she says that widening access will be a significant game changer for many New Zealanders.

“It will allow others like me to live their lives to the fullest. My doctor says I’m a miracle and I intend to keep living my best life.”