29 June 2016 - The acceptance of Keytruda's effectiveness after PHARMAC's budget was boosted undermines the medicines funding agency's credibility, Labour says.

A campaign by Labour, some doctors and patients for an advanced melanoma drug to be funded - with Keytruda most often mentioned - ran earlier this year.

PHARMAC and Health Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman cited a lack of evidence about Keytruda's efficacy, and said evidence presented by maker Merck Sharp & Dohme had not been peer-reviewed.

After a $39 million boost as part of last month's Budget was confirmed in May, Pharmac proposed to fund rival melanoma drug Opdivo.

And this week it published a new provisional agreement to fund Keytruda.

From September 1, patients would be able to switch melanoma drugs within 12 weeks of starting if their first one was intolerable and their disease had not progressed.

Labour's health spokeswoman Annette King said some patients had died waiting for Keytruda, and others had taken out mortgages or turned to friends and family, or even the Givealittle website, to fund it themselves.

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