Pharmac Proposal To Increase Access To Five Medicines For Cancer And Other Health Conditions

Pharmac – Te Pātaka Whaioranga is looking to increase access to five medicines for a number of cancers, including kidney and lung cancers, and other health conditions.

“We’re looking to widen access to chemotherapy and a type of targeted cancer treatment for people who don’t currently have any other treatment options available,” says Geraldine MacGibbon, Pharmac Director, Pharmaceuticals.

“We’re also proposing to fund lanreotide for the first time for people with neuroendocrine cancer, cancer related bowel obstruction, and a growth disorder called acromegaly. Lanreotide is easier to administer than other funded treatments.”

The proposal includes:

• funding lanreotide acetate for various health conditions (including a type of cancer)
• widening access to sunitinib, a targeted cancer medicine, for renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer)
• updating the eligibility criteria for pazopanib, a targeted cancer medicine, for people who cannot tolerate sunitinib
• widening access to bendamustine, a chemotherapy, for relapsed or recurrent chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (blood cancer)
• removing the prescription restrictions on pemetrexed, a chemotherapy, so it could be used for any condition.

“Looking at what we already fund and making improvements based on clinical advice we’ve received is an important part of our role to get the best health outcomes for New Zealanders,” says MacGibbon.

Consultation on Pharmac’s funding proposal for these medicines is now open and will close 9am Monday 29 July.

Following public consultation, Pharmac will consider and make a decision on the funding proposal. If approved, changes for bendamustine and pemetrexed would take effect from 1 November 2024. The dates for availability of lanreotide and changes to eligibility for sunitinib and pazopanib is still to be confirmed.

The medicines in this proposal were included in Pharmac’s annual multiproduct tender last year. This is the competitive process where pharmaceutical companies bid to supply medicines to New Zealand.

The Government announced additional funding for Pharmac in June to cover medicines for both cancer and non-cancer health conditions.

Proposal to fund lanreotide acetate for various indications and widen access to four cancer treatments

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