Responding to a report this morning about an imminent announcement on funding for Pharmac, we have issued the following comment:
Ah-Leen Rayner, chief executive of Breast Cancer Foundation NZ, said: “This boost to Pharmac would give breast cancer
patients hope, since they were excluded from the Government's 13 promised drugs. There are two treatments for incurable
breast cancer on Pharmac's Options for Investment list – Keytruda and Enhertu – that are proven to give women more time
and it's critical these are both given a high priority so Kiwis can access them urgently.
“$600m for Pharmac would certainly be a good start to give immediate access to new cancer treatments, and we also need
to see a longer-term plan to address Pharmac's chronic underfunding and a model that ensures women with breast cancer
can have modern medicines sooner.”