Cancer specialists and patients with advanced melanoma are celebrating the recent announcement that three potentially life-saving skin cancer medications will be funded starting from June 1st.
Pharmac, the state drug-buying agency, revealed on Friday that it will be funding more medications for individuals with late-stage skin cancer (stage 3B to stage 4 melanoma).
This decision includes expanding access to pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and providing funding for dabrafenib (Tafinlar) and trametinib (Mekinist) for the first time.
Geraldine MacGibbon, Pharmac’s director of pharmaceuticals, stated that this move will benefit 285 individuals by preventing their cancer from spreading or recurring.
Trustee of Melanoma NZ and oncologist Dr. Rosalie Stephens expressed her excitement about the decision, highlighting the life-saving and life-extending capabilities of these drugs.
“I believe this news will bring immense relief to New Zealanders with melanoma. They are well-informed about the impact of these medications internationally, and stakeholders have been advocating for this decision for quite some time. Psychologically, I think many will feel a sense of relief.
“This funding will not only have a significant impact on people’s health but also on their financial well-being, as many have been personally funding these crucial medications.”
Auckland resident Fin Bergin, diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma in September 2024, shared his thoughts on the funding, emphasizing the relief it will bring after struggling to afford treatment on his own.
“This funded treatment will ease my worries, as financial concerns have been a major source of stress since my diagnosis.”
Dr. Stephens mentioned that it took ten years of advocacy to secure funding for some of these medications, and the gap in access compared to other countries like Australia and the UK had caused anxiety among cancer specialists.
However, she noted that recent engagement with Pharmac had been positive, with improvements in transparency and process, giving hope for continued progress.
Health Minister Simeon Brown highlighted that National’s campaign to increase Pharmac funding for 13 additional cancer treatments would be fulfilled with the recent announcement, set to take effect on June 1st.
