The Medicines Management Programme has identified best-value medicines for a number of medicines, including:
Filgrastim
Best-value biological medicines: Filgrastim
The Medicines Management Programme (MMP) has identified best-value biological (BVB) medicines for medicinal products containing filgrastim on the High Tech Arrangement.
The MMP recommends the following as BVB medicines for filgrastim on the High Tech Arrangement:
- Accofil® (Accord Healthcare Ireland Limited)
- Tevagrastim® (Teva Pharmaceuticals Ireland)
A copy of the MMP Evaluation Report is available below.
Clinicians should give due consideration to prescribing a BVB medicine when issuing a prescription for filgrastim on the High Tech Arrangement. Prescribing the recommended BVB medicines reduces the financial burden on the HSE arising out of the funding of reimbursed medicines, and can assist in facilitating access to new, innovative medicine for patients.
The MMP recommends that all new patients being initiated on treatment with filgrastim on the High Tech Arrangement should be prescribed a BVB medicine.
NOTE: Please see the communication entitled MMP Communication – BVB Medicines Filgrastim 27 March 2025 below for information on the current availability of BVB medicines. At this point in time, where a clinician chooses to prescribe a BVB medicine for filgrastim for a patient, a prescription for Accofil® should be provided to the patient.
Resources to support prescribing of the BVB medicine are available below.
- MMP Evaluation Report BVB Medicines - Filgrastim (PDF, 888 KB, 35 pages)
- MMP Communication - BVB Medicines Filgrastim 27 March 2025 (PDF, 795 KB, 10 pages)
- BVB Reimbursement of Filgrastim Questions and Answers for Healthcare Professionals (PDF, 584 KB, 5 pages)
- BVB Filgrastim Patient Information (PDF, 502 KB, 3 pages)
- BVB Accofil® Product Information Sheet (PDF, 685 KB, 3 pages)
- BVB Filgrastim Patient and Clinic Support Services (PDF, 436 KB, 1 page)
For further information, please contact mmp@hse.ie.
Tocilizumab
Best-value biological medicines: Tocilizumab
The Medicines Management Programme (MMP) has identified best-value biological (BVB) medicines for medicinal products containing tocilizumab on the High Tech Arrangement.
The MMP recommends the following as BVB medicines for tocilizumab on the High Tech Arrangement:
- Avtozma® (Celltrion Healthcare Ireland Limited)
- Tyenne® (Fresenius Kabi Ireland).
The MMP Evaluation Reports are available below.
The MMP recommends that:
- all new patients being initiated on treatment with tocilizumab on the High Tech Arrangement should be prescribed a BVB medicine
- patients currently established on treatment with tocilizumab on the High Tech Arrangement should be considered for switching to a BVB medicine at the earliest possible opportunity.
Resources to support prescribing of the BVB medicine are available below:
- MMP Evaluation Report BVB Medicines - Tocilizumab (PDF, 908 KB, 35 pages)
- MMP Evaluation Report BVB Medicine - Avtozma (PDF, 472 KB, 24 pages)
- MMP Communication - BVB Medicine Tocilizumab 19 December 2025 (PDF, 833 KB, 11 pages)
- BVB Tocilizumab Questions & Answers for Healthcare Professionals (PDF, 359 KB, 9 pages)
- BVB Reimbursement of Tocilizumab Q and A for Healthcare Professionals (PDF, 298 KB, 6 pages)
- BVB Tocilizumab Patient Information (PDF, 173 KB, 3 pages)
- BVB Avtozma Product Information Sheet (PDF, 509 KB, 6 pages)
- BVB Tyenne Product Information Sheet (PDF, 713 KB, 6 pages)
- BVB Tocilizumab Patient and Clinic Support Services (PDF, 231 KB, 2 pages)
- BVB Medicine Tocilizumab Switching Letter Template (Word, 76 KB, 2 pages)
For further information, please contact mmp@hse.ie.
Ustekinumab
Best-value biological medicines: Ustekinumab
The Medicines Management Programme (MMP) has identified best-value biological (BVB) medicines for medicinal products containing ustekinumab.
The MMP recommends the following as BVB medicines for ustekinumab:
- Imuldosa® (Accord Healthcare Ireland Limited)
- Otulfi® (Fresenius Kabi Ireland)
- Pyzchiva® (Sandoz Limited trading as Rowex)
- Wezenla® (Amgen Ireland Limited).
A copy of the MMP Evaluation Report is available below.
Clinicians should give due consideration to prescribing Imuldosa®, Otulfi®, Pyzchiva® or Wezenla® when issuing a prescription for ustekinumab for the treatment of plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis or Crohn’s disease.
The MMP recommends that:
- all new patients being initiated on ustekinumab for the treatment of plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis or Crohn’s disease should be prescribed a BVB medicine
- patients currently established on ustekinumab for the treatment of plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis or Crohn’s disease should be considered for switching to a BVB medicine at the earliest possible opportunity.
Resources to support prescribing of the BVB medicine are available below:
- MMP Evaluation Report BVB Medicines – Ustekinumab (PDF, 1,116 KB, 66 pages)
- MMP Communication - BVB Medicines Ustekinumab 19 December 2025 (PDF, 952 KB, 14 pages)
- BVB Ustekinumab Questions & Answers for Healthcare Professionals (PDF, 852 KB, 9 pages)
- BVB Reimbursement of Ustekinumab Q and A for Healthcare Professionals (PDF, 614 KB, 7 pages)
- BVB Ustekinumab Patient Information (PDF, 533 KB, 4 pages)
- BVB Product Information Sheet for Imuldosa® (PDF, 763 KB, 4 pages)
- BVB Product Information Sheet for Otulfi® (PDF, 695 KB, 4 pages)
- BVB Product Information Sheet for Pyzchiva® (PDF, 833 KB, 8 pages)
- BVB Product Information Sheet for Wezenla® (PDF, 1 MB, 9 pages)
- BVB Ustekinumab Patient and Clinic Support Services (PDF, 490 KB, 4 pages)
- Template switching letter for Imuldosa®, Otulfi®, Pyzchiva® and Wezenla® (Word, 75 KB, 1 pages)
For further information, please contact mmp@hse.ie.
BVB/BVM Processes 2026
Information in relation to potential best-value biological (BVB) medicine and best-value medicine (BVM) processes for 2026.
MMP BVB and BVM Processes 2026 (PDF, 449 KB, 1 page)
The MMP is undertaking a BVB medicine evaluation process for medicinal products containing denosumab 60 mg. Further information is available at the link below.