NZ Herald
Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora has backed down on a plan to delay free access to a life-extending cancer drug after a backlash by patients and advocates.
Chief clinical officer Richard Sullivan said today that Health New Zealand would allow a small group of cancer patients to get early access to the medication Keytruda before Pharmac begins funding it later this year.
The Government is set to fund pembrolizumab, or Keytruda, for five more cancers: head and neck, triple negative breast cancer, colorectal cancer, bladder cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma – which can cost around $100,000 when unfunded.
