Life-prolonging cancer care too costly

The husband of a terminal skin cancer patient says Pharmac are ‘‘tightarses’’ and life saving medication is not available to 90 per cent of New Zealanders.

But the government-funded drug buyer says it has to follow a process when buying medication and is examining melanoma treatments right now.

Kurt Seddon, of Palmerston North, is expected to live for only a few more weeks as he battles terminal melanoma.

However, drugs that could have prolonged his life are not publicly funded in New Zealand and can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

‘‘I’d do anything to get given a second chance to live. I’m only young. You think that your life would count for something,’’ Seddon said.

On Friday he was admitted into the hospice.

Seddon’s husband Russell Broom said drugs available in Australia, such as dabrafenib, had a high success rate at fighting the cancer.

However, it was not funded by Pharmac.

Broom said dabrafenib was so expensive some people were mortgaging their houses to pay for it.

‘‘It cuts off 90 per cent of the people who need it. People can’t afford that.‘‘

Seddon had briefly been able to access the drugs on a short trip to Australia and had responded well, but could not afford them in New Zealand.

Broom ‘‘tightarses’’.

Seddon and Broom have hit tough times since the diagnosis. Broom quit his job to care for his husband and the couple are now living off $250 a week in benefit money.

Broom said the cancer has spread to Seddon’s bones and brain and they were just trying to manage his pain now.

‘‘I knew it was real but it hits you in the face that this is it.

Pharmac director of operations Sarah Fitt said it was looking over labelled Pharmac funding dabrafenib.

‘‘Pharmac is currently seeking updated clinical advice on these applications from the Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory Committee and we expect to be able to publish this by the end of February 2017.’’

Fitt said there were a number of funded treatments available for the treatment of different stages of melanoma.

‘‘These include treatments that supports the immune system treat the cancer, such as pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and nivolumab (Opdivo).’’

Fitt said there was a number of considerations Pharmac made when deciding to fund a medicine. applications for