Racing clock to save lives

CHEMOTHERAPY could become a thing of the past for up to two in three cancer patients with the Government looking at subsidising breakthrough new immunotherapies across multiple cancers.

The medicines, called programmed- death ligand 1 ( PDL1) therapies – like Keytruda which dramatically extended the life of Liberal Party fundraiser Ron Walker, and Opdivo – use the body’s own immune system to fight cancer.

The $ 150,000 per patient per year treatments are only subsidised for five types of cancer in the case of Keytruda, and eight for Opdivo.

And when pharmaceutical companies want the drugs subsidised for other cancers, they have to apply separately and each application can take up to 18 months to approve.

An application to provide a subsidy for Keytruda for lung cancer has already been rejected twice and is up for a third hearing next month.

Pharmaceutical company MSD is looking at seek subsidy for Keytruda in a further 20 cancer types in the next two years. Patients who could benefit are in limbo until multiple applications are considered.

Health Minister Greg Hunt has asked the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee to hold a special meeting in August to look at subsidies for these medications for multiple cancer indications.

Subsidies for multiple cancer types would be a major win for cancer patients.

It could see 30 per cent of patients using the therapies go into remission and another 30 per cent suffer fewer side effects from cancer treatment.

The therapies do not work in about a third of cancer patients but there are tests that can indicate which patients are likely to respond well.

University of Adelaide economics experts Professor Jonathan Pincus suffers from the rare Merkel Cell Carcinoma and has had to spend almost $ 90,000 funding his treatment with Keytruda because there is no subsidy for his condition.

The 78- year- old has continued to work as a consultant for Telstra, the Pharmacy Guild and other companies to pay for his treatment.

If he had melanoma, one of the five diseases for which there is a government subsidy, he would be able to purchase the treatment for just $ 39.40.

Before he started the treatment, Prof Pincus had three tumours grow rapidly, requiring surgery, but since he started Keytruda he has developed no new visible lesions.