Patients with a rare form of skin cancer could now benefit from first-of-a-kind once daily capsule
Erivedge® (vismodegib), a new medicine that has been shown to help patients with a disfiguring and potentially
life-threatening form of skin cancer, is now registered for use in New Zealand.
Erivedge is a first-in-class Hedgehog Pathway Inhibitor that helps shrink disfiguring or potentially life-threatening
lesions in advanced skin cancer
AUCKLAND – 23 April 2014: From today, adult New Zealanders with metastatic basal cell carcinoma (mBCC) or locally
advanced BCC (laBCC) where treatment with surgery or radiotherapy is inappropriate, could benefit from Erivedge®. 1 This
makes Erivedge, a capsule taken once daily, the only registered medicine for advanced BCC (aBCC, is comprised of mBCC
and laBCC) fulfilling an unmet medical need in this group of patients.1
BCC is the most common type of skin cancer in the world. 2 It is estimated that in 2006 there were 43,900 New Zealanders
diagnosed with BCC and that this number is growing year on year.
BCC forms the majority (65% - 75%) of non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC). In 2006, NMSC was estimated to have incurred
NZ$51.4 million in healthcare costs (excluding GST) and NZ$6.7 million in lost production.
BCC is considered curable when confined to the skin.
However, in some cases the disease will invade surrounding tissue (locally advanced) or spread to other parts of the
body (metastatic BCC) in a manner that cannot be effectively treated with surgery or radiation.
Dr Richard Martin, Cutaneous Surgical Oncologist, says that advanced basal cell carcinoma can be highly disfiguring and
can significantly impact quality of life.
“Until now, there have not been any active treatment options available for patients who are not appropriate for surgery
or radiotherapy. Erivedge, which has been shown to shrink tumours, addresses this unmet need and is a welcome new
treatment option for patients with advanced BCC,” said Dr Martin.
An independent review facility assessment found that Erivedge shrank visible lesions in 43 percent (27/63) of patients
with locally advanced BCC inappropriate for surgery or radiotherapy and shrank tumours in 30 percent (10/33) of those
with metastatic BCC.
An application for funding will be submitted to PHARMAC in due course. In the interim, Erivedge will be available for
private purchase .
-ENDS-