Medical Insurance & New Medication Funding

Pete Watt from Ministry Of Risk

Are your premiums continuing to rise? ... does your current insurer cover Non PHARMAC medications?, some do some don't ... just another good reason to talk to us ...

A new drug described as a "game changer" for women with a common and incurable type of breast cancer is now available in New Zealand - but only to those who can afford it.

Breast cancer charity Breast Cancer Aotearoa Coalition [BCAC] chairwoman Libby Burgess said Medsafe NZ had just approved the use of Ibrance for those with advanced hormone receptor positive and HER2-negative breast cancer.

She described Ibrance as "revolutionary" and preliminary clinical evidence for it was so strong that the United States Food and Drug Administration had fast-tracked its use in that country. The treatment essentially stops cancer cell division and growth.

"This medicine is a game changer for women with hormone receptor positive, but HER2-negative breast cancer.

"But many will still miss out on this potentially life-saving medicine because it is not publicly funded. BCAC and breast cancer patients are desperate to see PHARMAC fund Ibrance for use in our public hospitals and we hope this will happen in the near future," she said.