The Government’s promise to deliver more publicly funded cancer drugs begins tomorrow with the long-awaited rollout of Keytruda.
Access to the drug, also known as Pembrolizumab, has been widened for five types of cancer – advanced triple-negative breast cancer, head and neck cancer, colorectal cancer, bladder cancer, and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Auckland mother-of-two Gill Ripley was breastfeeding her baby last July when she noticed a lump in her breast.
“I was younger than average and I was still breastfeeding Joseph and I remember googling it,” she told 1News.
“Like ‘what are the chances of getting breast cancer when you’re breastfeeding?’ and they went ‘really low’.
“So yeah, it was a big shock but I knew that I had a lump and I should get it checked out.”
Subsequent tests confirmed a diagnosis of triple-negative breast cancer – a highly aggressive form of cancer.
Her only option was to pay for it. Ripley’s father funded her treatment, which cost more than $100,000.
“I talked to my parents and they said that my Dad would help me out,” she said. “It’s a bit embarrassing to have to ask your parents for money in your 40s but yeah, they were keen to help.”
The cancer survivor said it “would be great if it was able to be accessed by all women with this kind of breast cancer”.
‘Massive impact on the quality of life’
Health NZ chief clinical officer Dr Richard Sullivan called tomorrow’s rollout a “fantastic day”.
“We get six new patient groups who get access to Keyruda/Pembrolyzmab,” he said.
The oncologist called Keytruda a “fantastic immunotherapy drug that has a massive impact on the quality of life and prolongs their life”.
“So, really exciting it’s the first access to these new drugs that are coming as part of the $600 million investment.”
Eligible patients will gradually begin treatment from tomorrow, he said, with the rollout expecting to reach 1000 patients within a year.
Sullivan said more specialist staff are needed to provide treatment services nationwide and recruitment is already underway.
“Oncologists don’t grow on trees, nor do oncology nurse practitioners – another part of our solution,” he said.
“We’ve got a major focus in 2025 to increase our workforce to be able to meet some of this demand.”
The new funding means that women diagnosed with advanced triple-negative breast cancer will be eligible for funded treatment.
Two anti-fungal medicines will also be more accessible tomorrow, while eligibility for kidney cancer drug Opdivo (also known as Nivolumab) widened on November 1.
‘Incredible results’
The NZ Breast Cancer Foundation has long championed the funding of Keytruda for advanced breast cancer and is delighted the rollout is finally underway for patients who are eligible.
However, the foundation’s chief executive Ah-Leen Rayner said new research shows benefits for its use in the early stages too.
“The latest findings from an international conference just a month ago released some new incredible results. These findings show that Keytruda for early stage triple-negative breast cancer has the risk reduction of death by 34% and it mitigates the spread of breast cancer to other parts of the body by 32%,” Rayner told 1News.
“Scientists and clinicians over there were actually saying this drug, Keytruda, for early triple-negative breast cancer should become the international standard of care.”
Politicians will have the ultimate say on the additional funding that would enable eligibility to be widened even further in the future.
For now though, Sullivan said the new drugs offer hope and a longer life to patients with whom the drugs are compatible.
