MELANOMA
Daratumumab
Daratumumab is a drug used to fight Myeloma (which is a form of blood cancer). It is funded in 49 developed countries, but not in New Zealand.
It costs $240,000 for the first year and then roughly halves in subsequent years because fewer doses are needed.
Myeloma is the 2nd most diagnosed blood cancer in NZ with about 400 new cases per year. It is currently incurable but it can be kept below detectable levels for years by treatment and medicines. Each combination of drugs eventually stops working and myeloma returns, more aggressively. When that happens the patient has to switch to another option.
These lines of defence have strengthened and multiplied in the past decade. Newer medicines have greatly increased life expectancy from diagnosis, and more are being released and developed.
New Zealanders have been excluded from that revolution, however, because no new myeloma drugs have been funded since 2014.
Proven medicines, including daratumumab, pomalidomide and carfilzomib, are on Pharmac’s “Options for investment” list (commonly known as a wait list) meaning the government drug-buying agency accepts their benefit and wants to fund them, but does not have the budget.
Auckland City Hospital haematologist Dr Rodger Tiedemann last July wrote to then Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, pleading for action. His letter was endorsed by the Haematology Society, Leukaemia & Blood Cancer NZ, Myeloma NZ, and co-signed by 33 haematologists (doctors specializing in blood-related disease), working across all major hospitals. Daratumumab is the most pressing need, Tiedemann wrote.
“People’s lives are being needlessly sacrificed, and the accompanying anguish is vast. By one careful estimate, delays in daratumumab funding in New Zealand by Pharmac since 2017 have cost 1,410 Kiwis an average of 3 years of life each,” the letter stated.
“Myeloma patients and their families live in dread of the next relapse. At the same time, for clinicians it is deeply distressing to have to tell cancer patients that there are effective treatments available in many other countries, but not in New Zealand.”
The above is taken from an article in The Herald. Click Here for the link.
In the article is the story of Simon who has multiple myeloma and his sister has resorted to collecting aluminium cans to help raise money for the treatment.
It is pretty disturbing stuff and just reinforces the need to make sure you not only recommend health insurance every time to your clients but you recommend health insurance with decent non-pharmac coverage – like Ultimate Health Max.
For a discussion on options how to cover you, your family and possibly your company, call us to arrange a suitable time.
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