Delaying funding medicines for lung cancer patients – is it fair?

Merck Sharp & Dohme New Zealand Limited (MSD) says the new government is understandably continuing to spend billions on protecting New Zealanders from the economic and health impacts of COVID-19; but asks, is it fair, that at the same time, high numbers of their fellow New Zealanders with lung cancer continue to not have access to funded immunotherapy medicines.

Every year lung cancer continues to kill more New Zealanders than melanoma, breast and prostate cancer combined.1

MSD New Zealand Director, Mr Paul Smith, says “We acknowledge these are unprecedented times and taxpayer money is under pressure. We also welcome this government’s pre-election commitment to make some increase to PHARMAC budgets. But we urge New Zealanders to ask their political leaders if they think it is fair to continue to withhold funded access to immunotherapy treatments for these patients?

In August 2019, PHARMAC announced plans to look at funding immunotherapy treatments for lung cancer, but put them on hold in April this year, citing the impact of COVID-19.2

“Many people I have spoken to, say it is hard to understand why the government is prepared to spend $NZ 75 million on horse racing, while each year around 1,700 New Zealanders with lung cancer pass away without funded access to immunotherapies, which are available and funded in many countries around the world.3, 1,4

“PHARMAC has put the funding for these treatments on hold. But waiting isn’t an option for lung cancer patients, as approximately only one in seven of those with advanced disease are still alive after one year.5

“The process to fund an immunotherapy medicine is moving too slowly in our opinion, and in the meantime another 34 New Zealanders with lung cancer die every week.1

“This is in stark contrast to Australia, which funds a range of immunotherapies for lung cancer patients. In New Zealand chemotherapy remains the only funded option for four out of five patients.” 6,7

Lung Foundation New Zealand CEO, Mr Philip Hope, endorses the call for more government and political attention to the needs of New Zealanders with lung cancer and for PHARMAC to be given adequate funding to reimburse treatments for New Zealand’s biggest cancer killer.

“For patients diagnosed with lung cancer, access to immunotherapy treatments could put them on par with patients from other countries. The inequities surrounding lung cancer in New Zealand are extreme. Only a small percentage of patients with the financial means can access, what is standard of care treatments in other countries.8

“This injustice is the direct result of cost-cutting and policy settings by government regarding pharmaceutical investment. Consequently, New Zealand is well below comparable OECD countries, including Australia, when it comes to access to innovative medicines.9

“As for the Crown’s responsibility to Māori, under Article 3 of the Treaty, the biggest source of cancer mortality for Māori is being almost completely ignored. This lack of commitment is indefensible and unacceptable. 10

“Immunotherapy medicines were funded in 2016 for melanoma, which predominantly effects non-Maori. Yet lung cancer patients have been waiting nearly four years and there is no date set for PHARMAC to relook at issuing the proposal to fund lung immunotherapy medicines.” 11,12

November is lung cancer awareness month, and MSD is running an advertising campaign which highlights the need for New Zealand patients to have access to more funded lung cancer treatments.

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