Te Pātaka Whaioranga Pharmac is asking for feedback on proposals to fund six medicines for cancer and antibiotic resistant infections from 1 April 2025. The medicines are:

• nivolumab (branded as Opdivo) and ipilimumab (branded as Yervoy) for kidney cancer as a first treatment option
• sunitinib for kidney cancer
• axitinib (branded as Inlyta) for kidney cancer when the cancer has spread and progressed after receiving other treatment
• inotuzumab ozogamicin (branded as Besponsa) for a type of blood cancer called acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
• crizotinib (branded as Xalkori) for a type of advanced non-small cell lung cancer with specific gene mutations
• ceftazidime with avibactam (branded as Zavicefta) for antibiotic resistant infections

Pharmac is also consulting on a price reduction and brand change for palbociclib used for advanced breast cancer, from Ibrance to Palbociclib Pfizer (supplied by the same supplier).

Geraldine MacGibbon, Pharmac’s Director Pharmaceuticals said that about 150 people with cancer and 30 people with antibiotic resistant infections could have access to these new medicines from 1 April 2025 and that we want to hear what people think about the proposals.

“We have negotiated supply contracts for these new medicines but before we decide to fund them, we want to know what people think. Have we got the access criteria right, are there particular areas of support that people would need,” says MacGibbon.

“Some of these medicines are given as intravenous (IV) infusions in hospitals or require testing services, so it’s important that we also hear from the health sector to make sure people can receive the treatments if they are funded.”

The new medicines are part of multiproduct agreements with two suppliers which is why the consultations include multiple medicines.

Consultation is now open, and people can submit feedback through the Pharmac website before 24 January 2025.

Pharmac can consider funding these medicines following the Government’s $604 million medicine budget increase in June 2024. Since receiving the additional funding, Pharmac has funded 34 medicines for different health conditions and is currently considering 16 more, including the medicines in these proposals.

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