Cancer drug may be funded

A life-prolonging breast cancer drug could soon be publicly funded, saving patients thousands of dollars.

Pharmac has started consultation on a proposal to fund the medicine palbociclib – marketed as Ibrance – for first-line and secondline treatment of certain types of breast cancer. Provisional agreement on the treatment had been reached with supplier Pfizer, Pharmac said yesterday.

Patients could be prescribed Ibrance from April if the feedback from consultation was positive, and the proposal was approved by the Pharmac board.

In October 2018, women with advanced breast cancer marched to Parliament to present a petition for Ibrance to be funded.

Currently, Australians can access the drug for $40 a month while in New Zealand it costs $6500 for a three-week cycle. Yesterday, Pharmac said more than 2000 people would be eligible for the first and second-line treatment in the first year of funding, and up to 950 people over each subsequent year. Pharmac chief executive Sarah Fitt said Pfizer had offered the most competitive package.

Breast Cancer Foundation NZ chief executive Evangelia Henderson said the drug, or one of its equivalents, had been funded in Britain and Australia for some time. ‘‘These drugs are now considered the standard of care for advanced breast cancer around the world, so it has been very painful for patients to have New Zealand lagging behind.’’

‘‘This drug debate merry-go-round has to be sorted out. ’’

Dr Chris Jackson Medical director and oncologist

The Cancer Society said the announcement was good news, especially because Pharmac previously ‘‘sat on the fence’’ during the health select committee meeting in September, and said at the time the drugs lacked evidence and were high cost.

Medical director and oncologist Dr Chris Jackson said he all too often had to suggest patients set up fundraisers for their treatment.

He was frustrated by Pharmac’s processes and decision making.

‘‘This drug debate merry-goround has to be sorted out. This is not a sustainable way to do things.’’