The Government has all but promised that a melanoma drug will be funded by Pharmac after the drug-buying agency gets a boost in funding with the May Budget.
The welcome announcement came as Health Minister Jonathan Coleman accepted an 11,000-signature petition calling on the Government to boost Pharmac's funding so it can fund melanoma treatment.
Read more: Tauranga woman gets Government's attention in drug funding battle
Dr Coleman says the Government is looking at how much more money Pharmac, the state's bulk-buying drug agency, could be given as part of May's Budget.
Petition organiser, melanoma survivor and Tauranga resident Leisa Renwick deserves a lot of credit for bringing pressure on the Government to make such an undertaking.