2 Mar 2012

Pharmac to fund new drug

12:01 pm on 2 March 2012

Pharmac is to fund a new drug for patients with aggressive breast cancer which has spread to other parts of their body.

It will fund Lapatinib as an alternative to Herceptin.

The State drug-buying agency also announced on Friday it will fund another targeted cancer treatment, Pazopanib, for advanced kidney cancer.

Medical director Peter Moodie says both new drugs are pills, which avoids the need for infusions in hospital.

Some 180 patients per year are expected to use them.