Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand agree with the proposal to expand access to generic lenalidomide and pomalidomide. This decision will bring New Zealanders one step closer to the international standard of care and will enable New Zealand haematologists to practice in closer alignment with internationally recognised clinical treatment pathways.
It is important to recognise that – despite this proposal – an urgent unmet need persists for myeloma patients, who have not seen a new mode of action funded in the last decade. Myeloma is a relapsing and remitting disease, meaning that access to several treatment options with different mechanisms of action is required to keep people living.
Daratumumab represents a new mode of treatment, and both daratumumab and carfilzomib are clinically and cost-effective therapies that form part of the established standard of care internationally. Not having access to these medications means that New Zealanders are ineligible for some clinical trials.
These modern medicines continue to await funding on Pharmac’s Options for Investment list and highlight a broader issue where New Zealanders have to wait for the patent life of medicines to expire before they are publicly funded. This is unacceptable for blood cancer patients whose survival is wholly reliant on access to innovative medicines and who cannot afford to wait. LBC will continue to lobby for improved decision-making and faster access to standard of care therapies.
For all the details in this proposal, please visit the Pharmac site – here
This is your opportunity to have your say. Email your feedback to: consult@pharmac.govt.nz by 4 pm, Friday 17 May 2024