Funding for new bipolar drug

People suffering from bipolar disorder will soon have an extra medicinal option due to a funding decision by Government drug funding body Pharmac yesterday.

Pharmac medical director Peter Moodie said access to a drug used to treat epilepsy would be widened to allow bipolar sufferers to take it.

Two brands of lamotrigine (Mogine and Arrow-Lamotrigine) would be available from February for people whose medication was ineffective or caused adverse side-effects.