Breast cancer drug will not be funded

Government health agencies have declined to buy the expensive medicine Herceptin for women in the early stages of a certain type of breast cancer.

The decision, announced early this afternoon by Pharmac and district health boards, is a blow to women already paying more than $100,000 on average for the drug.

Pharmac, which has analysed the costs and benefits of Herceptin, said the available clinical data on the drug was not sufficient to justify extending access.

"The data is unclear about Herceptin's long-term benefit and its impact on life-expectancy," it said.

The Government already buys it for women in the terminal phase of so-called HER2-positive breast cancer.

Women paying to have the drug, medical and patient-support groups and opposition politicians have been campaigning for the extension of funding to early breast cancer since trial results last year showed the drug can save lives and reduce cancer recurrence.

Government health agencies in Australia and Britain have supported funding Herceptin for early breast cancer. In Australia this remains subject to price negotiations with the manufacturer, Roche, and cabinet approval. In Britain, the decision has been appealed by a health funding authority.

Pharmac spokeswoman Dilky Rasiah said the door remained open to funding Herceptin.

"We are continuing to examine the evidence that is emerging. At the moment the data is not strong enough to support a positive funding decision, although we are open to funding Herceptin if better quality evidence becomes available," she said.

"The available data is short-term and does not show the long-term benefit of Herceptin, particularly on life-expectancy. We need sufficient data that shows an investment in Herceptin is justified, which is not currently the case."

Funding the drug for early breast cancer would cost health boards $20 million to $25 million a year for up to 320 patients. Their current annual spending on hospital cancer drugs is $35 million to $40 million.

Dr Rasiah said a Pharmac advisory committee would next month examine new information on Herceptin.

Roche said it was disappointed by the decision. Svend Petersen, its New Zealand managing director said: "Roche firmly believes Herceptin is a cost effective treatment for early stage breast cancer and the cost-to-benefit threshold is below that of other drugs Pharmac has funded.

"We have supplied Pharmac with the same extensive clinical and cost effectiveness data that has convinced Australia and the UK to provisionally recommend funding for this patient group.

"Additional information has recently become available including further international clinical data."