KEY POINTS:
Government drug-buying agency Pharmac has received 300 submissions on its court-ordered consultation on whether it should begin funding 12-month courses of the breast cancer drug Herceptin.
Submissions closed today and it would be July at the earliest before Pharmac could make a decision, chief executive Matthew Brougham said.
It had earlier indicated a decision might be made this month.
"We need to consider all the information we have received very thoroughly and where appropriate seek further input from our advisory committees," Mr Brougham said in a statement.
"We know this will mean a slightly longer time-frame for our decision, but we think it's better to make a good decision than a quick decision, so this is the right way to go."
He said Pharmac would now see input from a committee of cancer specialists, which will provide advice to Pharmac's main clinical committee.
In July 2006 Pharmac decided to back just the nine-week course of the drug, used to combat the aggressive HER2 positive form of breast cancer, at an estimated cost to District Health Boards of about $6 million a year.
To fund the 12-month course would cost about $25 million.
Eight breast cancer patients, labelled the `Herceptin Heroines', took Pharmac to court to challenge the decision.
The High Court found insufficient consultation had been done in regard to the possible benefits of the longer course and instructed Pharmac to start over.
- NZPA
