Posted by Michael Wonder on 22 Apr 2020
PHARMAC back-tracks on plan to fund lung cancer drug Keytruda
22 April 2020 - PHARMAC has frozen plans to fund a lung cancer drug that would have helped at least 1400 patients a year, saying it can no longer afford to make the investment.
The move has dashed hopes that Keytruda would soon be publicly funded for lung cancer - New Zealand's biggest cancer killer.
Radio New Zealand has obtained documents showing PHARMAC had planned to offer a Request for Proposals, or RFP, in which drug companies are asked to pitch their products and prices, but has put that on hold due to budget constraints.
