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National vows to honour Herceptin pledge
10th November 2008
Prime Minister Elect John Key has reassured New Zealand women that he will honour his pledge to fund 12 months of Herceptin for women with early stage HER2 positive breast cancer.
Newly appointed Health Minister Tony Ryall said Herceptin will be funded for 12 months by the Ministry of Health, a decision which leaves PHARMAC standing alone with its funding of only 9 weeks.
The decision signals the end of a three-year long battle for breast cancer patients and their doctors to provide New Zealand women with access to the world standard of Herceptin treatment.
‘We are absolutely delighted to hear the wonderfully positive message from John Key and Tony Ryall that Herceptin funding will be in place by Christmas,’ said Libby Burgess, Chair of the Breast Cancer Aotearoa Coalition (BCAC). ‘This is a huge relief for New Zealand women with breast cancer, their families and communities.
‘We celebrate the fact that the new National government has listened to the experts both in New Zealand and around the world and will establish the proven treatment in our country. We owe much to the efforts of those clinicians who kept trying to convince PHARMAC by presenting the ever-increasing body of evidence of Herceptin’s efficacy.
‘We are very hopeful that the government will support those women who have already begun self-funding their Herceptin courses as well as those who have not yet started their treatment.’
Ms Burgess acknowledged the collective and tireless efforts of those groups, individuals and medical professionals who have campaigned since mid-2005 for 12 months of Herceptin funding.
‘I must offer a heartfelt thank you to all of those courageous people who have battled so long and so hard to bring the evidence to light and keep this issue in the public eye. I applaud Anne Hayden, Nic Russell, Mandy Carter, Chris Walsh and the Herceptin Heroines who presented petitions to parliament and took PHARMAC to the High Court. These women stood up and represented all those affected by HER2 positive breast cancer while battling their own diagnosis. I also thank the Herceptin Riders, Skip for Life and all the wonderful Kiwis who rallied to this cause to support our women.
‘Now that this long and bitter struggle is over we will be able to direct our efforts into other breast cancer areas.
‘It’s time for New Zealand to move forward and make positive progress instead of struggling to catch up with the rest of the world.’
