[February 11, 2006]

PRESSURE INCREASES ON PHARMAC OVER BREAST CANCER MEDICATION

(New Zealand Press Association Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)Wellington, Feb 12 NZPA - Government drug funding agency Pharmac meets on Thursday amid increasing pressure to extend subsidies for expensive breast cancer medicine Herceptin.

For now government funding of the drug is only available to women in advanced stages of breast cancer, and others have to pay between $70,000 and $120,000 for a course of treatment.

But international research found that if used in early HER2 positive breast cancer Herceptin could reduce the chance of the cancer returning by 46 percent.

The type of cancer involved is evident in around 20 to 30 percent of all breast cancer patients and is particularly aggressive and frequently recurring.

If funding is approved for early stage use, it is expected the move will cost Pharmac an additional $25 million to $30 million each year.

Herceptin, known generically as trastuzumab and made by Genentech, has been described as a long-sought breakthrough.

In this country Pharmac and company Roche Products (New Zealand) announced six months ago they were working together to ensure rapid assessment for funding of Herceptin for women with early stage HER2 positive disease.

At the time Pharmac chief executive Wayne McNee says he was pleased advice from Roche indicated the treatment could be targeted to specific groups of patients, in order to more effectively manage the likely overall budgetary impact.

Also at that time a coalition of breast cancer organisations in this country called for the funding to be fast-tracked.

Breast Cancer Advocacy Coalition chairwoman Libby Burgess said the current situation was stressful for women with HER2 positive early stage breast cancer and for their oncologists.

``Herceptin offers an excellent treatment option but is unaffordable for most,'' she said.

The Herceptin research had brought hope for some breast cancer patients in this country but also ``profound despair as Herceptin is not readily available to them in New Zealand''.

The Government had a moral and social obligation to provide immediate interim ``off-label'' funding for women with HER2 positive cancers, Ms Burgess said.

Commenting today ahead of Thursday's Pharmac meeting, National Party associate health spokeswoman and breast specialist Dr Jackie Blue said women were going to desperate lengths to find the $100,000 or so to fund a year-long course of Herceptin.

``These women are at their lowest physically and emotionally, having had to face a breast cancer diagnosis, undergo surgery and toxic chemotherapy,'' Dr Blue said.

``Because the amount of the drug needed for treatment is linked to body weight, women are trying to diet to get their weight down to further reduce the cost.

``As well, because there appears to be a big variation in oncologist charges across the country, women are considering traveling hundreds of kilometres to get the treatment.

``It's cruel and inhumane that many women have to resort to what amounts to public begging to find the money, mortgage their homes to the maximum, or face not taking the medication and the greater risk of the cancer returning and possible death.''

The issue of funding the drug was highlighted last week with the heart-breaking story of Auckland mother Nicola Russell, 32, who is seeking $118,000 to pay for the drug for herself -- only six weeks after her toddler died from a form of bone cancer.

The plight of Ms Russell, originally from Northern Ireland, was on the front pages of the Irish News and the Belfast Telegraph, along with photographs of her and her surviving child, son Conor, 5.

It was while caring for her ill daughter Mackenzie, 3, that Ms Russell found out that she had breast cancer.

NZPA WGT mjd ob

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