New Brunswick Drugs for Rare Diseases Plan

New Brunswick residents with a valid Medicare card may be considered for coverage under the New Brunswick Drugs for Rare Disease Plan (NB DRD Plan). 

Individuals are not required to enroll in the NB DRD Plan, and there are no fees or co-payments. 

The Plan will consider requests for coverage of the following drugs for specific rare diseases:

• Aldurazyme (laronidase) for the treatment of Hurler and Hurler-Scheie forms of Mucopolysaccharidosis I (MPS I)
• Elaprase (idursulfase) for the treatment of Hunter’s Syndrome
• Ilaris (canakinumab) for the treatment of Cryopyrin-Associated Periodic Syndrome (CAPS) 
  • Muckle-Wells Syndrome (MWS) and Neonatal-Onset Multisystem Inflammatory Disease (NOMID) only
• Myozyme (alglucosidase alfa) for infantile/early and adult/late onset Pompe disease
• Naglazyme (galsulfase) for the treatment of Mucopolysaccharidosis VI (MPS VI)
• Zavesca (miglustat) for the treatment of Niemann Pick Type C (NPC)

A request form for a drug listed on the NB DRD Plan must be completed by the physician, and the individual must meet the clinical criteria for the requested drug. Request forms may be obtained by calling 1-800-332-3692.

Requests for rare disease drug coverage for New Brunswick patients are assessed by Ontario Public Drug Programs’ external medical experts using the same clinical criteria.

Drugs included in the NB DRD Plan were evaluated through the Ontario Drugs for Rare Diseases Framework, which is no longer in place. Therefore, no additional drugs will be added to the NB DRD Plan.

As outlined in the Drug review process, all new drugs for rare diseases are evaluated on behalf of the participating federal, provincial and territorial public drug plans by Canada’s Drug Agency using the Health Technology Assessment process. An expert committee reviews clinical and economic evidence and issues a recommendation to the Drug Plans on whether a drug should be reimbursed. 

However, each jurisdiction makes their decision based on the committee’s recommendation and other factors such as drug plan mandates, jurisdictional priorities, budget impact and resources.