Proposal for the supply of dapsone tablets

We are seeking feedback on a proposal to change the funded brands of dapsone tablets, which are currently supplied by Link Pharmaceuticals (Dapsone).  We are also seeking feedback on related change to remove the 25 mg tablet from the Pharmaceutical Schedule and replace it with a 50 mg tablet.

The change from a 25 mg to a 50 mg tablet is being made because the currently funded 25 mg and 50 mg tablets are being discontinued by the manufacturer.  We expect stock of the currently funded 25 mg and 50 mg tablets will run out by the end of 2026. Pharmac has not been able to secure an alternative supply of 25 mg tablets and there are no other Medsafe approved 25 mg tablets.

We have been working with suppliers to manage this discontinuation. Through this proposal, Pharmac has been able to secure supply of both 50 mg and 100 mg dapsone tablets, from a different supplier. The new 50 mg tablets can be halved to achieve a 25 mg dose.

Dapsone tablets were included in our 2025/26 Annual Invitation to Tender (ITT) process. It is important that our tender decisions are informed by the experiences of people taking these medicines, as well as those who support them, including their family, whanau and caregivers. We are also seeking input from healthcare professionals involved in prescribing, dispensing, and administering dapsone, as their insights help us understand the practical implications of any changes.

This feedback helps us better understand what a brand and tablet change would mean for people who use dapsone, and how we can best support them through the transition. In particular, we are seeking feedback on how any changes to brand and tablet could be managed to best support people taking these medicines.

What would be the effect?

This proposal would mean that all people currently using dapsone tablets would need to change brands to continue receiving a funded medicine. The newly funded brand contains the same active ingredient (dapsone) and is designed to work in your body the same way as the currently funded brand.

From 1 September 2026 the Dapsomed brand of dapsone tablets 50 mg and 100 mg supplied by Medsurge would be listed on the Pharmaceutical Schedule for use in the community and Health New Zealand Hospitals.

This means from 1 September 2026, people using the 100 mg tablets would switch to a new funded brand of 100 mg tablets. In addition, people using the 25 mg tablets would need to switch to 50 mg tablets.

The 50 mg tablets are scored and can be halved to achieve a 25 mg dose. Our clinical advisors on the Tender Clinical Advisory Committee (TCAC) have reviewed these tablets and advised they are appropriate for funding and would provide an option for people currently using 25 mg tablets.

From 1 February 2027 until 30 June 2029, the Dapsomed brand of dapsone would have Principal Supply Status. This means that from 1 February 2027, Dapsomed 50 mg and 100 mg tablets would be the main funded brand of dapsone until 30 June 2029.

Approximately 300 people who are currently using the 25 mg dapsone tablets would need to transition to a halved 50 mg tablet to continue receiving a 25 mg dose. We acknowledge that this change may be disruptive and that some people may find the transition difficult.

We also appreciate that halving tablets adds another step to taking a medicine and can be challenging for some people. However, with the discontinuation of the funded 25 mg tablets we are proposing this change to ensure that a lower dose of funded dapsone remains available. We encourage people taking dapsone 25 mg, along with their family, whānau, and caregivers, to discuss this proposed change with their healthcare professional.

No changes are proposed to the current dispensing or access restrictions for this medicine.

An Alternative Brand Allowance would be available for people who are unable to switch to the newly funded brand of dapsone tablets for clinical reasons.

About dapsone

Dapsone is a type of antibiotic medicine. Dapsone works by stopping the growth of the bacteria in an infection, or by an anti-inflammatory effect in other conditions.  Dapsone is used mostly to treat the infections such as leprosy (Hansen’s disease) and Actinomycotic mycetoma, and to help control a skin problem called dermatitis herpetiformis. When it is used to treat leprosy, dapsone may be given with one or more other medicines.

Why we’re proposing this

Following notification of the discontinuation of dapsone 25 mg tablets, Pharmac included dapsone tablets in the 2025/26 ITT. As a result of the tender process and our analysis of the bids received, we are considering a change in the funded brand of the 100 mg dapsone tablets and the replacement of 25 mg dapsone tablets with a scored 50 mg tablet.

We have consulted our advisors on the Anti-infective Advisory Committee, the Dermatology Advisory Committee and clinicians at the National Public Health Service and they have told us that while transition to a 50 mg tablet may cause some difficulty for a small number of people it is preferable to not having a lower tablet dose than 100 mg.

We have been working with suppliers to manage this discontinuation, and through the tender process, Pharmac is proposing this change in brand and tablets from 1 September 2026 to secure an ongoing supply of dapsone tablets.

Details about our proposal  

From 1 September 2026 the Dapsomed brand of dapsone would be listed in Section B and Part II Section H of the Pharmaceutical Schedule as follows.

Pricing for the Dapsomed brand of dapsone tablets would be shared following any decision on this proposal

From 1 February 2027 until 30 June 2029, the Dapsomed brand of dapsone would have Principal Supply Status. This means that Dapsomed would be the main funded brand of dapsone until 30 June 2029, and Link Pharmaceuticals brand of dapsone 25 mg and 100 mg tablets (Dapsone) would not be funded.