$600m for new medicines a ‘game changer’
Tuesday, 25 June 2024
The Government’s new $600 million cash boost for Pharmac to fund 54 new medicines, almost half of them cancer treatments, has been hailed as a “game-changer” by a patient advocate.
“Out of the chaos has come good,” said Patient Voice Aotearoa spokesperson Malcolm Mulholland. “This is great news, whether drugs are specified or not, more patients will benefit as a result.
He called the announcement “huge” and a “game-changer” in terms of treating cancer across the board.
The Government confirmed on Monday the $604 million injection will allow Pharmac to fund 26 cancer treatments ranging from melanoma to lung cancer, included up to seven from the 13 treatments National campaigned on getting funded in the election.
The news confirmed what sources had told The Post last week, that Pharmac was expected to receive at least $600m to fund dozens of new medicines, following Cabinet signoff.
Victoria Hudson-Craig, who has melanoma, was “over the moon” that Pharmac was getting funded.
“From the initial reading of the seven that are definitely going to be funded, mine isn’t on there, and they’re saying it will be a similar or better drug,” she said. “But as far as I’m concerned, if there was a better drug, I’m pretty sure my oncologist would have recommended I would be on it.”
The drugs to be funded include nivolumab as a second-line therapy for kidney cancer and pembrolizumab — better known as Keytruda — for bladder cancer. The others “will be replaced by alternatives just as good or better,” said Health Minister Shane Reti.
The remaining funded 28 new medicines would target health conditions like infections, respiratory conditions, mental health and dermatology.
“New Zealanders will live long or live better, and that's something that's really hard to put a dollar value on.”
The announcement on Monday came after the Government failed to set aside any cancer treatment funding in the Budget which sparked public outcry.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said it was “a really fantastic day for New Zealanders who desperately need those drugs”.
“We have been wrestling with how best to deliver this and there was a number of different tracks and ways that we can go about it.
“We've settled on a really, I think, a very important way which is delivering through Pharmac, but also want to acknowledge it yes, yeah, we know that there's a lot of work for us to do with respect to the fiscal situation in New Zealand.”
Cancer patient advocate organisations also welcomed the funding but were cautious.
'We don't know how many blood cancer medicines are funded within that 13 [treatments],' said Tim Edmonds, chief executive of Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand. A report is going to be published this week on which medicines would have the most clinical benefit to blood cancer patients, Edmonds said, and he wanted to see those get funded by Pharmac.
The Breast Cancer Foundation's chief executive Ah-Leen Rayner said there were two drugs that would make 'a massive difference' and have the same or higher clinical benefit than the ones the Government campaigned on. 'We will keep pushing so that women can have these treatments that will give them longer or better lives.'
Barbara Horne, the chairperson of Myeloma New Zealand, said only time would tell if it would make a difference for patients of the country’s second most common blood cancer. “There is a desperate need for modern and better medicines to be funded for the approximately 3000 myeloma patients.”
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said he was relieved Pharmac would be funded, and many people who “deserve an apology” were still waiting one from the Government.
“If he had funded Pharmac from the start he could’ve saved so many families the anguish of waiting,” he said.