600 New Zealand women are diagnosed with HER2 positive breast cancer every year and around 400 of these will need Herceptin treatment for early breast cancer. This is a more aggressive form of the disease and will most often strike younger women. These women may be mothers with young children, women with established careers, women hoping to start families. They have bright and strong futures and yet our government continues to refuse to provide them with a drug that will increase their chance of surviving this disease by 34%.

24 OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries have already funded a proven 12 month treatment regimen of Herceptin for women with early stage HER2 positive breast cancer. New Zealand will fund a treatment course of only 9 weeks as of July 1 2007 and so stands reprehensibly at the lowest end of the OECD health care scale.

The rest of the world has moved on to support their women. Our government’s continued refusal to fund this life saving drug is unjustified and irresponsible.

There are ways you can help. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Write to the Minister of Health and the Prime Minister asking them to urgently provide funded access to Herceptin for NZ women:
   Hon Pete Hodgson, Minister of Health, Bowen House, Parliament, Wellington, phodgson@ministers.govt.nz  (if you want a reply, include a postal address in your email) Phone (04) 470 6558, fax (04) 495 8449.
   Rt Hon Helen Clark, Prime Minister P O Box 18888, Parliament, Wellington
   pm@ministers.govt.nz (if you want a reply, include a postal address in your email)
   Phone (04)471 9998, fax (04) 473 3579.  

1. Write to PHARMAC, the government body that, unlike its equivalents in Australia, the UK and 22 OECD countries, has refused to fund Herceptin: Peter Moodie, Medical Director, PHARMAC, Level 14 Cigna House, 40 Mercer Street, PO Box 10 254, Wellington. peter.moodie@pharmac.govt.nz  
   Phone (04) 916 7522, fax (04) 460 4995. (ask for a response)

1. Meet with your local MP to discuss the issue further – there is nothing like face to face personal contact to get a message across.
2. Write to your local DHB urging them to prioritise Herceptin funding.

1. Write to Roche, the company that supplies Herceptin in New Zealand. Urge them to be generous with the pricing of Herceptin and to do all they can to achieve agreement with PHARMAC as soon as possible: Felicity Bonham, Herceptin Product Manager, Roche Products Limited, PO Box 12-492, Penrose, Auckland,  felicity.bonham@roche.com  phone (09) 633 0700, fax (09) 6330733, toll free 0800 656 464

1. Write letters to or contact a health reporter at your main newspaper e.g. The NZ Herald (letters@nzherald.co.nz), The Christchurch Press (editorial@press.co.nz), Otago Daily Times (odt.editorial@alliedpress.co.nz) and The Dominion Post (letters@dompost.co.nz) or your local community paper to either let people know your story or to have your say about why we need Herceptin now.
2. Donate to the Herceptin Fighting Fund. Eight women currently funding their own Herceptin filed a Judicial Review in the High Court on July 1 2007. This Review will examine the process PHARMAC used to reach their decision to fund Herceptin for only 9 weeks. The women are asking for donations to help with legal costs. Details can be found on the BCAC website.

1. Tell your friends that women with early stage Her2+ breast cancer will have their chance of a recurrence of this aggressive disease reduced by 36 to 52% if they are given access to Herceptin.  Many lives will be lost unnecessarily if we are forced to continue to wait for PHARMAC approval.  We need funded access to 12 months of treatment now.  Ask your friends to write letters, talk to journalists and MPs, and to tell others about Herceptin.
   1. If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with Her2+ breast cancer, make sure you include your personal story in your letters.  Explain why you or your family member/friend can’t afford to pay $80,000 to $120,000 or more and the difference that funded access to Herceptin would make to you, your family and your wider community.
   2. Finish any letter with a ‘call to action’ or question.  Tell the person you are writing to what you would like them to do:
      1. For example if your MP is in the opposition then it may be to “ask a question regarding the funding of this medication in the House” or “point out in the House that New Zealand’s failure to provide funding, while many similar nations have fast-tracked approval and funding processes, is bringing our country into international disrepute”
      2. Or if your MP is in the Labour Party then perhaps you would like them to ask Pete Hodgson to let New Zealand catch up with the rest of the developed world and ensure Herceptin is funded urgently.

If we can help you with any of the above, or provide you with additional information, please contact us on BCAC@breastcancer.org.nz.
If you would like to be added to our Herceptin Supporters email list, please let us know.

Thank you for your help