Herceptin 'now an election issue'

Breast cancer patients are pinning their hopes on a change of Government after Pharmac again rejected a bid to extend funding for the costly drug Herceptin.

Following a court-ordered consultation that drew more than 300 public submissions, Pharmac chief executive Matthew Brougham said yesterday that the Government's drug-buying agency was standing by its decision to finance nine weeks of the drug for early stage aggressive HER-2 breast cancer instead of the 12 months, which is standard in 32 countries.

"A fresh review of the science and other information has failed to convince us that 12-month treatments offer any additional benefits over the current nine-week treatment," he said.

Independent clinical experts concluded there was no evidence that 12 months' treatment had better clinical outcomes, or was cost effective and safe for patients. Longer exposure to Herceptin has been linked to heart problems in some patients.

Mr Brougham acknowledged the decision would be unpopular with some people. "But New Zealand is fortunate that its drug-funding decisions have been taken out of the political realm and are assessed on purely scientific grounds."

Herceptin Heroines spokeswoman Chris Walsh, one of eight women who mounted the legal challenge to Pharmac's original decision two years ago, said the news would be distressing for women.

The $85,000 spent on the failed legal bid had been money well spent, she said. "We have succeeded in calling into question a lot of Pharmac's processes and bringing the issue to the public."

The fight would go on. "Being an election year, access to pharmaceuticals is going to be a key issue. And with National already promising to fund it if they become government, I think it's likely women are going to take a critical look at what's on offer."

Health Minister David Cunliffe said he had been assured by Pharmac that the decision was not based on cost. "This is Pharmac's decision and one that I cannot legally intervene in. However, I am assured that the court-directed review of the Herceptin decision was thorough."

- © Fairfax NZ News