The Drug Committee of the Croatian Health Insurance Institute (HZZO) has given a positive opinion on the inclusion of the drug with the active substance givinostat on the current drug list, Slobodna Dalmacija reports.
The decision is a major step towards the availability of therapy for boys suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy in Croatia. According to Slobodna Dalmacija, this is the only therapy that can slow the disease in those affected.
The mother of one affected boy told Slobodna Dalmacija that she was "crying with joy" and described the positive opinion as a "huge relief".
The Committee's opinion is part of the process for including the drug on the HZZO list. Once the procedure is completed, the therapy would become available to those affected in Croatia at the expense of mandatory health insurance.
