Herceptin Funding Gets Go-Ahead

By WATSON LOIS

Health boards set to approve nine-week course DISTRICT HEALTH boards are on the verge of approving funding for a short course of the drug Herceptin for women with early stage breast cancer.

The Sunday Star-Times understands district health boards, in the next day or two, will signal to government drug-buying agency Pharmac their willingness to fund a nine-week treatment course.

The cost of funding the nine- week plan is about $5 million New Zealand-wide every year.

Senior doctors advising Pharmac on the implementation of Herceptin had wanted New Zealand women to receive a year-long course – as happens in many countries overseas – but were overruled by management.

They then recommended that nine weeks’ treatment be funded for early stage HER2 breast cancer patients.

Pharmac accepted that recommendation but left it up to the district health boards to decide whether they fund the shorter treatment plan.

DHBs had hoped to make a collective decision on funding by the end of February but delays in obtaining some information forced them to postpone their decision- making. A decision is now expected by Tuesday.

Breast Cancer Aotearoa Coalition spokesman Libby Burgess said all indications pointed to the DHBs approving funding for the nine-week course.

“From the perspectives of oncologists and patients that is an unproven regimen,” Burgess said. A consultation period would follow the DHBs’ decision, during which the coalition would fight for New Zealand women to be given a year- long course of the drug.

Burgess said the data supporting a nine-week course of Herceptin was based only on a study of 232 patients, half of whom received the anti-cancer drug, whereas data supporting the year- long treatment plan involved a study of more than 10,000 women.

“The data for this is just too weak,” Burgess said. “It may be that Pharmac thinks that if it introduces this (nine-week course) they will take the heat out of the debate, but in reality they will be introducing an experimental regimen with an unknown effect on the population … and we can’t allow that to happen.”

Burgess said the coalition would be lobbying hard during the consultation period for Pharmac to revisit its decision and opt for a year-long treatment course. LONG BATTLE FOR HERCEPTIN * 2007: Pharmac expected to fund a nine-week treatment programme for Herceptin. Treatment predicted to be available from July.

* 2006: A Pharmac sub-committee raises safety concerns about Herceptin and delays approval for funding. Protesters march on parliament.

* 2005: A worldwide trial involving New Zealand patients shows Herceptin reduced risk of cancer recurrence in 46% of women with early stage disease. Calls for Pharmac to pay the $60-$120,000 annual cost.

* 2001: Health Ministry approves use of Herceptin here for advanced stage breast cancer.

(c) 2007 Sunday Star – Times; Wellington, New Zealand. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.