Spinraza, the drug used to treat spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), could also be approved for children on respirators and adults, Health Minister Milan Kujundzic said on Thursday ahead of a cabinet meeting.

A commission tasked with evaluating the effects of Spinraza met last Thursday and decided to expand the indications for using Spinraza. “Professionals believe the criteria have been met now to also give the drug to patients who are on respirators and patients older than 18,” the minister said.

For all SMA patients to be able to receive Spinraza, after their doctors have confirmed that there are no medical restrictions, the Croatian Health Insurance Agency must first approve a request for expanding indications.

The news was confirmed by Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic at the cabinet meeting, saying the government had collected HRK 1.4 billion for especially expensive drugs. “No government in history has given so much money for these drugs,” he said, adding that a decision to that effect could be made “only after professionals made a decision based on a comparative analysis and achievements in other countries.”

Commenting on the new National Centre for Robotic Surgery at Zagreb University Hospital, Plenkovic said it was an impressive investment and a new service for patients that was made possible thanks to the government’s support and European funds. “We are enhancing our health care in a number of ways,” he said.