Lung cancer treatment takes another forward step in New Zealand

Improvements in lung cancer treatment are set to continue with a decision for New Zealand’s Pharmaceutical Management Agency PHARMAC to extend funding for Tarceva (erlotinib), from Swiss drug major Roche (ROG: SIX) from January 1, 2014.

PHARMAC’s decision to widen access to erlotinib, to become a first-line treatment for lung cancer, follows a price reduction by the supplier Roche (The Pharma Letter December 9, 2013). From January 1, 2014, the price and subsidy for erlotinib tablets 100mg will be NZ$1,133 ($925) compared to current price and subsidy of NZ$3,100, and NZ$1,700 versus NZ$3,950 for the 150mg dosage.

Erlotinib and another similar drug gefitinib (Iressa), from UK drug major AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) are tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) that have changed the way aggressive lung cancer is treated, and improved the prospects of people diagnosed with lung cancer, PHARMAC noted. Erlotinib was the first TKI to be funded in 2010, and since then access has been improved and widened so that from 1 January 1, 2014, both erlotinib and gefitinib are funded for people who are newly diagnosed and who have not previously had platinum-based chemotherapy.