Blood Cancer Alliance Seeks Clarity On Cancer Medicine Funding

New Zealand’s Blood Cancer Alliance – an advocacy group including Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand, Myeloma New Zealand, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia Advocates New Zealand, as well as consultant haematologists – seeks urgent assurance of timely access to effective blood cancer medicines following Pharmac funding boost.

The Blood Cancer Alliance is pleased to see the Government delivering on its commitment to increase Pharmac funding, with its latest announcement including funding for an additional 13 oncology medicines.

However, it remains unclear how many of these medicines will be for blood cancers and how they compare to those funded across the Tasman that have significant clinical benefit.

“We are talking about patients for whom surgical and radiation therapies are not an option and are wholly reliant on blood cancer medicines for their survival. Short-term, blood cancer patients deserve clarity from this government that they will not be forgotten, and that the updated report from the Cancer Control Agency will signal prioritised investment of medicines with significant clinical benefit that are available in Australia but not New Zealand,” says consultant haematologist, Dr. Rodger Tiedemann.

With the Government delegating the execution of its medicine policy to Pharmac’s standard procedures, there is a risk that lower-cost medicines with inferior health benefits may be prioritised in Pharmac’s ranking and bargaining processes.

“How blood cancer medicines will fare in this process is unknown, and for many blood cancer patients the news that this policy now sits with Pharmac does little to address the outstanding question – when I can receive my medication?” says CEO of Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand, Tim Edmonds.

Often, the most effective treatments for patients are also the most expensive. The Government’s promise to patients was grounded in the Cancer Control Agency’s analysis of unfunded medicines available in Australia, which have the highest clinical benefit, irrespective of cost.

The initial report identifying 13 medicines to be funded focused on solid tumour cancers. An equivalent report for blood cancer medicines is expected to be published by the end of this week. This follows repeated assurances from Hon. Shane Reti, both before and after the election, with the message to blood cancer patients that ‘we have not forgotten you’.

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