Proposal to fund Erbitux for head and neck cancer in New Zealand

New Zealand’s Pharmaceutical Management Agency PHARMAC said today that it proposes to fund cetuximab (Erbitux) from February 1, 2018 for the treatment of patients with locally advanced, non-metastatic, squamous cell cancer of the head and neck subject to certain clinical criteria being met.

Certain patients with locally advanced, non-metastatic, squamous cell cancer of the head and neck would be eligible for a funded course of treatment with cetuximab in combination with radiotherapy. The Agency estimates there would be around 40-50 patients per year who may be eligible for treatment with cetuximab under this proposal.

PHARMAC received an application from Merck Serono, the local unit of Germany’s Merck KGaA (MRK: DE), to fund cetuximab for the treatment of patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck. The application has been reviewed by the Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory Committee (PTAC) as well as by PTAC’s Cancer Treatments Subcommittee, CaTSoP.