NZ’s faster medicine approvals don’t guarantee patient access

New Zealand has introduced a faster medicine approval pathway, but gaps remain between regulatory approval and patient access, highlighted by the RSV preventive drug nirsevimab lacking public funding. Medsafe approved nirsevimab in July, and Pharmac placed it on its investment list, yet no funded programme exists for infants. The new verification pathway, effective July 3, allows approvals within 30 working days for medicines cleared by two overseas regulators, but excludes innovative drugs for children or pregnant people. Australia funds RSV vaccines and antibodies more broadly, while New Zealand only covers the older palivizumab for high-risk infants. The pathway’s impact is unclear, as Medsafe has not published application figures, and faster approval does not guarantee pricing, supply, or delivery programmes.