New cancer drugs are available in Malaysia

PUTRAJAYA: Cancer patients in Malaysia do have access to new drugs, even those not listed in the Health Ministry’s formulary, as approval for such medication will be made on a case-by-case basis, said Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah yesterday.

The ministry’s medications formulary, informally known as the Blue Book, comprised a list of medicine that served as a guide for doctors for prescriptions, he said.

“However, not all medicine get listed on the formulary if there is a high-budget impact, especially newer cancer therapies.

“Nevertheless, patients requiring these therapies are never deprived of access as the ministry approves the use of non-formulary medicine on a case-by-case basis.”

He said other targeted therapies for lung, liver and renal cancers, gastrointestinal stromal tumours, and hematological conditions were among cancer treatments that were listed in the formulary, although they were very costly.

He added that as the new targeted therapies for cancer were expensive, the ministry had engaged with the pharmaceutical industry through Patient Access Schemes and Patient Assisted Programmes.

“These are among measures taken to make these medicines more affordable for the Health Ministry, thus enabling a greater number of patients to receive them.”

He shot down a news report claiming that new cancer drugs were unavailable in Malaysia.

He said the new drug, Sunitinib, which was referred in the said news article, had been listed in the Blue Book.