Pharmac confirms Herceptin policy

David Cunliffe
David Cunliffe
Government drug-buying agency Pharmac's decision not to fund 12-month courses of the breast cancer drug Herceptin highlights the need for a special funding system for high-cost health care, a Dunedin doctor, who is funding her own cancer treatment says.

Pharmac yesterday reaffirmed that it would not fund 12-month courses of the drug.

Instead it is continuing funding for a nine-week course of the drug, used to combat the aggressive HER-2 positive form of breast cancer, at an estimated cost to district health boards of about $6 million a year.

Dr Sue Walthert, who is one dose short of her own 12 months Herceptin treatment for her HER2-positive breast cancer, which has cost her family about $50,000, said yesterday that the debate over the drug would not be the last over expensive medications or treatments.

She believes that an insurance scheme, a bit like ACC, under which people would be levied a small amount to pay for high cost treatments or interventions could solve the problem.

"We can find a way to fund high-cost drugs in this little country of few people because we are resourceful."

Dr Walthert said she was not surprised at yesterday's decision, but angry about the wording of it.

"I wish they would come out and say that it is the cost."

Funding the 12-month programme would cost an estimated $25 million compared with $6 million for the nine-week course.

Pharmac chief executive Matthew Brougham said a fresh review of the science and other information had failed to convince the agency that 12-month treatments offered any additional benefits over the nine-week treatment.

Mr Brougham said Pharmac gave careful consideration to an updated commercial offer from Herceptin manufacturers Roche.

"This decision, however, was not driven by the price of the 12-month treatments.

"It was based on a lack of confidence that the expenditure - whatever the exact level - would deliver any additional health gains."

National Party associate health spokeswoman Jackie Blue said National would fund 12-month courses of Herceptin for early-stage breast cancers if it won the general election.

But Health Minister David Cunliffe said he could not lawfully direct Pharmac to fund a 12-month course, and he accused National of ignoring scientific evidence.

Dr Walthert said if National decided to fund the drug as a political stunt it could "hit them badly".

There needed to be a robust policy in place governing all high cost drugs, something neither of the major political parties had dealt with.

Pharmac decided in July 2006 to back just the nine-week course of the drug, used to combat HER-2 positive breast cancer.

But the High Court this year ordered Pharmac to consult on whether it should extend treatment to 12 months - standard practice in more than 30 countries - following a legal challenge by eight breast cancer patients, labelled the "Herceptin Heroines".

The court found insufficient consultation had been undertaken into the possible benefits of the longer course and instructed Pharmac to start over again.

 

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