Polish Society of Rheumatology on October reimbursement list

We publish the content of the PTR's position:

"The Polish Rheumatology Society informs that according to the announcement of the Minister of Health of September 17, 2025, on the list of reimbursed drugs as of October 1, 2025, access to effective biological treatment has further improved.

As of October 1, the following active substances have been reimbursed for the following indications:

• benralizumab (IL-5 inhibitor) - eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis(EGPA)(on label)

Benralizumab therapy is available to patients 18 years of age and older under drug program B.75 TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE in module III - TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH ACTIVE POST OF EOSINOPHILIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE (EGPA). Benralizumab is the second IL-5 inhibitor drug to be reimbursed in the EGPA indication in 2025.

• Rituximab (anti-CD20) - interstitial lung disease(ILD)(off label)

Rituximab therapy is available to patients aged 18 and older under drug program B.135 TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH INTERMEDIATE LUNG DISEASE in the indications:

Interstitial lung disease with fibrosis of a progressive phenotype (PF-ILD) in the course of systemic connective tissue diseases,

Systemic scleroderma-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD).

• Tocilizumab (IL-6 inhibitor) - intravenous and subcutaneous forms - interstitial lung disease (ILD)(off label)

Tocilizumab therapy is available to patients aged 18 and older under drug program B.135 TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH INTERMEDIATE LUNG DISEASE in the indication:

Systemic scleroderma-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD).

• Rituximab (anti-CD20) - systemic l upus erythematosus(TRU, SLE)(off label)

Rituximab therapy is available to patients aged 18 and older under drug program B.150 TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH CELLULAR LACK OF CANCER. At the same time, according to current recommendations, from July 1, 2025, a patient may be eligible for the program in case of demonstrated failure of previous treatment with GCS at a dose of ≥5 mg/d in terms of prednisone, rather than ≥7.5 mg/d as before.

In addition, a biosimilar biological drug, infliximab, which is an example of a biosuperior (biobetter, biosuperior) biosimilar drug, was included in the reimbursement. It is an improved version of the reference biological drug - in this case, the subcutaneous form of infliximab (as opposed to the intravenous form of the reference drug and the other biosimilars reimbursed to date):

• infliximab (TNF alpha inhibitor) - subcutaneous form - rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS)

Subcutaneous infliximab therapy is available to patients aged 18 and older under drug programs: B.33 TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH ACTIVE STAGE OF RHEUMATOID AND YOUTH IDIOPATHIC arthritis for the indication of RA, B.35 TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH LASQUATIC arthritis (lupus), and B.36 TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH ACTIVE STAGE OF DISEASE OF THE RESTRICTED ARTHUR (AS). The drug is also available for patients with psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease.

The inclusion of the above-mentioned drugs in reimbursement fulfills the demands of the Polish Society of Rheumatology expressed in positions published in 2025 regarding the need to expand access to new registered therapies(on label) and, in the absence of registration, to expand access to biological treatment in accordance with current recommendations and medical knowledge(off label).

The Polish Society of Rheumatology, in cooperation with the national consultant in rheumatology, will continue to take active measures resulting in improved access to treatment in rheumatic diseases in Poland.

Marcin Stajszczyk, MD, PhD
Chairman of the Drug Policy Committee of the Polish Society of Rheumatology

Zbigniew Żuber, MD, Professor UAFM
President of the Polish Society of Rheumatology"

Source: PTR