'Thank you' from the Herceptin Fighting Fund

March 2008: The eight Herceptin Heroines have achieved their goal of taking PHARMAC - the government's pharmaceutical agency - to court over its decision not to fund the proven 12 months of Herceptin treatment for women with early stage HER2 positve breast cancer. These women conducted a massive fund-raising campaign to support the legal costs of their Judicial Review and would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all those who donated and supported their efforts. Your kind donation towards the legal costs was much appreciated - thank you!

BCAC has been right behind these women in their efforts to get a fair deal from PHARMAC. It is a travesty that these ordinary kiwi citizens were forced to pay for a Judicial Review to have their voices heard. New Zealanders should have the right to receive effective treatment for diseases like HER2 positive breast cancer without having to resort to the legal system.

Read about the Herceptin Riders protest ride - click here

To read about the Judicial Review - click here.

Meet the eight women undertaking the Judicial Review - click here.

The Topp Twins Levin Show and Auction fund raiser - click here.

For a few facts about Herceptin - click here.

To read BCAC's submission on the PHARMAC Consultation - click here

The Campaign

From Chris Walsh (pictured), Spokesperson for the Herceptin Fighting Fund Campaign

On 20 March 2007, drug funding agency PHARMAC announced a proposal to fund a 9 week course of Herceptin with chemotherapy to treat New Zealand women with early stage HER2 positive breast cancer. 23 other OECD counties have adopted the proven, evidence based, life-saving regimen of 12 months. PHARMAC has, so far, refused to fund this.

We think PHARMAC has got it wrong. We had no choice but to take legal action and challenge their Herceptin decision in the form of a Judicial Review. This class action was the first of its kind in NZ. 

On behalf of the seven other HER2 positive women involved in this action, I would like to thank you for supporting us. Your help, kindness and generosity made it possible for us to undertake this legal action and to keep moving forward.

HER2 Positive Breast Cancer and Herceptin

In New Zealand, 40-45 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every week. About 20-30% (8 – 12) of those women will have HER 2 positive breast cancer, a particularly aggressive form of the disease.  They will often be younger women with children.

Herceptin is an important drug for women with HER2 positive breast cancer. It is the only treatment currently available that specifically targets and deactivates the HER2 protein that makes these cancer cells grow and spread faster. Herceptin is only given to those with HER2 positive breast cancer. Herceptin is not funded for women with early stage HER2 positive breast cancer when it can offer the best chance of a cure. We believe Herceptin should be funded for the proven 12 months course for these New Zealanders.

The Eight Herceptin Fund Fighters

We are eight women, all HER2 positive and our oncologists said that a 12 month course of Herceptin would provide us with the best chance of survival.The recommended, proven, world standard 12 months of Herceptin treatment cost us $70,000 - $100,000 each. We paid for private courses of Herceptin at a cost to each of us of $4,000 - $5,000 every 3 weeks.  Herceptin is taken intravenously (through a needle inserted into a vein).We funded our own Herceptin with support from our communities, family and friends. Many of us mortgaged our homes, borrowed money and depended on the fund raising efforts of our supporters.

There are many other women who need but simply cannot afford this life-saving treatment.

The PHARMAC proposal to fund a 9 week treatment regimen of Herceptin for early stage HER2 positive breast cancer had no impact on us and our treatment but it will affect those who follow. It is a cheaper, unproven option that will mean New Zealand women will receive a sub-standard treatment regimen rather than the proven 12 months that 23 other OECD countries have adopted for their populations.

So, we undertook the Judicial Review. We did this for ourselves and also for other women who need this life-saving treatment now and in the future.

It was not been an easy decision for us to engage in a Judicial Review. It added stress at a time when we should have been recovering and healing. But we believed then - and believe now - we did the right thing and hope you do to.

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