28 June 2016 - PHARMAC recently announced a decision to fund nivolumab (Opdivo) for patients with unresectable or metastatic (stage III or IV) melanoma (advanced melanoma) from 1 July 2016.

PHARMAC has now reached a commercially favourable provisional agreement with Merck Sharpe and Dohme (New Zealand) Limited (MSD) for the supply of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and is seeking feedback on a proposal to:

• Fund pembrolizumab for patients with advanced melanoma, subject to Special Authority criteria
• Fund a tablet form of the antifungal agent posaconazole (Noxafil)
• Amend the contractual terms of listing of posaconazole oral liquid (Noxafil) and raltegravir (Isentress), without changing the funding of these treatments.

View PHARMAC press release