Cancer and other medicines: Track our progress to funding
Following the budget injection from the Government, we're moving fast to fund the medicines on our Options for Investment list.
On this page
About this page
This page lists the treatments that we have been able to progress because of the 2024 budget increase.
We will add treatments to this page as we announce them. We cannot give information on which applications are coming next. We need to maintain secrecy while we are negotiating with pharmaceutical companies.
You can check our complete options for investment list(external link), which has every application that we would like to fund.
Summary
| Status | Cancer medicines | Non-cancer medicines | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Funded | 11 | 12 | 23 |
| Considering feedback | 9 | 6 | 15 |
| Consultation open | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 20 | 19 | 39 |
We have also requested tenders to supply bevacizumab to treat multiple cancers
Funded cancer medicines
Funded from 1 November 2024
for people with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) that has come back (relapsed) or stopped responding to treatment (refractory), that is as a second-line treatment.
Bendamustine gives people another treatment option that could extend the time until the cancer returns.
We estimate that up to five extra people would receive bendamustine each year as a result of this decision.
Decision to widen access to cetuximab, bendamustine and pemetrexed
Media release: Pharmac improves access to three cancer medicines
More information
Funded from 1 November 2024
for people with metastatic colorectal cancer (bowel cancer that has spread to other parts of the body) located on the left side of the bowel without genetic mutations.
It is funded as a first-line therapy. This is the first treatment given for the disease. We expect around 140 people would receive cetuximab as a first-line treatment in the first year of funding.
Decision to widen access to cetuximab, bendamustine and pemetrexed
Media release: Pharmac improves access to three cancer medicines
More information
Proposal to widen access to cetuximab for bowel cancer
Media release: Significant step forward proposed for bowel cancer
Application Tracker | Cetuximab for bowel cancer (includes clinical advice)(external link)
Funded from 1 November 2024
for people with metastatic colorectal cancer (bowel cancer that has spread to other parts of the body) located on the left side of the bowel without genetic mutations as a second-line therapy. This is where other treatments haven't been successful or have caused severe side effects.
We expect around 240 people would receive cetuximab as a second-line treatment. This would reduce to 150 each year after five years because more and more people would receive treatment in the first line setting.
Decision to widen access to cetuximab, bendamustine and pemetrexed
Media release: Pharmac improves access to three cancer medicines
More information
Proposal to widen access to cetuximab for bowel cancer
Media release: Significant step forward proposed for bowel cancer
Application Tracker | Cetuximab for bowel cancer (includes clinical advice)(external link)
Funded from 1 November 2024
for people with advanced renal cell carcinoma where the cancer has progressed after initial treatment (second-line treatment).
We expect about 120 people would start this treatment in the first year of funding.
Renal cell carcinoma is the most common type of kidney cancer and is more common in men. There are no targeted treatment options funded in New Zealand if the current treatment options, sunitinib or pazopanib, stop working.
More information
Media release: First cancer medicine decision following Pharmac funding boost
Media release: Pharmac opens first consultation for cancer medicines after funding boost
Application Tracker | Nivolumab for advanced renal cell carcinoma(external link)
Funded from 1 October 2024 for:
people with advanced triple-negative breast cancer that is either locally advanced and can't be operated on or has spread to other parts of the body.
We expect about 40 people would start this treatment in the first year of funding, increasing to 50 people each year after five years of funding.
Breast cancer affects one in nine people over their lifetime and up to 20% have triple negative breast cancer. Māori and Pacific people are more likely to experience worse outcomes from breast cancer compared to other ethnicities. Chemotherapy can be effective in treating this cancer, but often people need more types of treatment.
More information
Media release: First cancer medicine decision following Pharmac funding boost
Media release: Pharmac opens first consultation for cancer medicines after funding boost
Application Tracker | Pembrolizumab for advanced triple-negative breast cancer(external link)
Funded from 1 October 2024 for:
people with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma that has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic) or has come back (recurrent).
We expect about 80 people would start this treatment in the first year of funding.
People with this specific type of head and neck cancer don’t currently have many effective treatment options.
More information
Media release: First cancer medicine decision following Pharmac funding boost
Media release: Pharmac opens first consultation for cancer medicines after funding boost
Application Tracker | Pembrolizumab for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma(external link)
Funded from 1 October 2024 for:
As an initial treatment for microsatellite instability-high or deficient mismatch repair (MSI-H/dMMR) colorectal cancer which:
- has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic) or
- can't be operated on (unresectable)
We expect about 120 people would start this treatment in the first year of funding.
Around 3,000 people are diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year and 20% have metastatic disease (where the cancer has spread). Chemotherapy is the current treatment when people can’t have surgery, or surgery isn’t enough.
More information
Media release: First cancer medicine decision following Pharmac funding boost
Media release: Pharmac opens first consultation for cancer medicines after funding boost
Application Tracker | Pembrolizumab for colorectal cancer indication(external link)
Funded from 1 October 2024:
for people who have already received other treatments for microsatellite instability-high or deficient mismatch repair (MSI-H/dMMR) colorectal cancer that has
- spread to other parts of the body (metastatic) or
- cannot be removed completely through surgery (unresectable).
We added pembrolizumab as a second or later line treatment option following feedback on our consultation.
We expect about 110 people will benefit from this decision in the first year of funding. This will reduce quickly as newly diagnosed people will be able to receive pembrolizumab as an initial treatment from 1 October 2024.
Around 3,000 people are diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year and 20% have metastatic disease (where the cancer has spread). Chemotherapy is the current treatment when people can’t have surgery, or surgery isn’t enough.
More information
Media release: First cancer medicine decision following Pharmac funding boost
Media release: Pharmac opens first consultation for cancer medicines after funding boost
Application Tracker | Pembrolizumab for colorectal cancer indication(external link)
Funded from 1 October 2024
as a second-line treatment (ie if the cancer has progressed after initial treatment) for people with advanced urothelial carcinoma.
We expect about 120 people would start this treatment in the first year of funding.
Urothelial carcinoma is the most common type of bladder cancer. Around a quarter of people are diagnosed with advanced disease. Māori and Pacific people are less likely to have this type of cancer compared to the wider population. Chemotherapy is the current treatment.
More information
Media release: First cancer medicine decision following Pharmac funding boost
Media release: Pharmac opens first consultation for cancer medicines after funding boost
Application Tracker | Pembrolizumab as a second-line treatment for bladder cancer(external link)
Funded from 1 October 2024 for:
people with Hodgkin lymphoma where the cancer has come back (relapsed) or stopped responding to treatment (refractory).
We expect about 20 people would start this treatment in the first year of funding.
Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system (a part of the immune system). About 100 people are diagnosed each year and around 80% have good outcomes after chemotherapy.
More information
Media release: First cancer medicine decision following Pharmac funding boost
Media release: Pharmac opens first consultation for cancer medicines after funding boost
Application Tracker | Pembrolizumab to treat people ineligible for autologous SCT(external link)
Funded from 1 November 2024
for any indication where a clinician believes it will help. This is most likely to be for non-small cell lung cancer, but there might be other cancers it could treat.
We estimate that 15 to 25 extra people might benefit from this each year.
Decision to widen access to cetuximab, bendamustine and pemetrexed
Media release: Pharmac improves access to three cancer medicines
More information
Funded non-cancer medicines
Our funding boost is allowing Pharmac to fund many of the high-priority medicines that are high on our options for investment list. Funding these medicines helps address many conditions with a high health need.
Access widened from 1 November 2024:
People with severe chronic localised genital or flexural plaque psoriasis.
Pharmac has widened access to these medicines to treat people who have plaque psoriasis in places their skin folds (like armpits) and genitals. Psoriasis can make a person’s skin scaly, itchy, and red, affecting their quality of life. Severe psoriasis can cause significant medical and psychological problems – increasing a person’s risk of death.
More information
Media release and Q&A: 5,700 people to benefit from widened access to funded medicines
Media release and Q&A: Over 6,000 people will benefit from Pharmac funding proposal if approved
Access widened from 1 November 2024:
People with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, subject to eligibility criteria.
Aripiprazole depot injection (also known as aripiprazole long-acting injection and branded as Abilify Maintena) is a medicine used to manage and treat schizophrenia. It can also be used for other psychotic disorders - such as bipolar and schizoaffective disorder - although it is not approved for this use.
It is administered by a health care professional once a month. It helps to restore chemical balance in the brain. It can also be used to lessen the chance of symptoms coming back.
We estimate that about 580 people will benefit in the first year of funding, increasing to about 950 people per year by year five.
More information
Media release and Q&A: 5,700 people to benefit from widened access to funded medicines
Media release and Q&A: Over 6,000 people will benefit from Pharmac funding proposal if approved
Application Tracker | Aripiprazole long-acting injection(external link)
Access widened from 1 November 2024:
People with severe chronic localised genital or flexural plaque psoriasis.
Pharmac has widened access to these medicines to treat people who have plaque psoriasis in places their skin folds (like armpits) and genitals. Psoriasis can make a person’s skin scaly, itchy, and red, affecting their quality of life. Severe psoriasis can cause significant medical and psychological problems – increasing a person’s risk of death.
More information
Media release and Q&A: 5,700 people to benefit from widened access to funded medicines
Media release and Q&A: Over 6,000 people will benefit from Pharmac funding proposal if approved
Access widened from 1 November 2024:
People with iron deficiency anaemia in chronic inflammatory disease. Any relevant practitioner can apply for access, specialist input will not be required.
We estimate that 700 people will benefit in the first year of funding, increasing to about 1,000 people per year by year five.
More information
Media release and Q&A: 5,700 people to benefit from widened access to funded medicines
Media release and Q&A: Over 6,000 people will benefit from Pharmac funding proposal if approved
From 1 February 2025, we're removing the part charge for the tab 120 mg and adding another strength (tab 180 mg) of fexofenadine, which treats allergy symptoms.
A recent tender award gave us the opportunity to consider making this medicine more accessible. The July funding boost meant that we could take this opportunity, rather than investing elsewhere.
About 2,400 people received fexofenadine hydrochloride 120 mg tablets between July 2023 and June 2024. From 1 February 2025, these people can access a fully funded brand of fexofenadine hydrochloride. We understand the number of people benefitting from this medicine may increase in future. This means more than 12,000 people are likely to benefit in the next five years.
Funded from 1 November 2024 for:
More people with uncomplicated urinary tract infections.
Fosfomycin was funded for hospital use only. Funding fosfomycin for use in the community avoids the need for some people to be treated for urinary tract infections in the hospital. We expect that around 80% of cases currently treated in hospital could be successfully treated in the community.
We estimate about 2,600 additional people in New Zealand will use fosfomycin in the first year of funding. After five years, approximately 3,700 people will benefit.
Decision to fund fosfomycin in the community for urinary tract infections
More information
Media release: Improved access to medicines for urinary tract infections and Parkinson's disease
Access widened from 1 November 2024:
People with severe chronic localised genital or flexural plaque psoriasis.
Pharmac has widened access to these medicines to treat people who have plaque psoriasis in places their skin folds (like armpits) and genitals. Psoriasis can make a person’s skin scaly, itchy, and red, affecting their quality of life. Severe psoriasis can cause significant medical and psychological problems – increasing a person’s risk of death.
More information
Media release and Q&A: 5,700 people to benefit from widened access to funded medicines
Media release and Q&A: Over 6,000 people will benefit from Pharmac funding proposal if approved
Funded from 1 February 2025
The funding boost allowed us to take up an opportunity from our Annual Tender to fund combination tablets of levodopa with carbidopa and entacapone.
People will be able to take one combination tablet rather than two (or more) separate tablets. We expect that around 580 people would benefit in the first year of funding. This would increase to 700 after five years.
We currently fund levodopa with carbidopa tablets and entacapone tablets separately on the Pharmaceutical Schedule. These will remain funded.
Media release: Improved access to medicines for urinary tract infections and Parkinson's disease
Access widened from 1 November 2024:
People with opioid-induced constipation in hospitalised patients outside of palliative care.
Opioids are used to control pain and often lead to constipation. Constipation:
- causes distress
- has a negative impact on quality of life
- can lead to life-threatening complications.
Using opioids when people are sick in hospital with other things can make constipation difficult to treat.
We estimate that over 4,300 extra people will benefit from methylnaltrexone bromide each year.
More information
Media release and Q&A: 5,700 people to benefit from widened access to funded medicines
Media release and Q&A: Over 6,000 people will benefit from Pharmac funding proposal if approved
Funded from 1 October 2024:
To prevent invasive fungal infections (IFIs) in immunocompromised people.
We expect about 430 people would need this treatment or voriconazole in the first year of funding, increasing to about 535 people each year by year five.
The impact of invasive fungal infections has shown an upsurge in recent years. This is due to the higher number of people who are immunocompromised as a result of various diseases or treatments, like people living with cancer.
More information
Media release: First cancer medicine decision following Pharmac funding boost
Media release: Pharmac opens first consultation for cancer medicines after funding boost
Access widened from 1 November 2024:
People with severe chronic localised genital or flexural plaque psoriasis.
Pharmac has widened access to these medicines to treat people who have plaque psoriasis in places their skin folds (like armpits) and genitals. Psoriasis can make a person’s skin scaly, itchy, and red, affecting their quality of life. Severe psoriasis can cause significant medical and psychological problems – increasing a person’s risk of death.
More information
Media release and Q&A: 5,700 people to benefit from widened access to funded medicines
Media release and Q&A: Over 6,000 people will benefit from Pharmac funding proposal if approved
Funded from 1 October 2024:
To prevent invasive fungal infections (IFIs) in immunocompromised people.
We expect about 430 people would need this treatment or posaconazole in the first year of funding, increasing to about 535 people each year by year five.
The impact of invasive fungal infections has shown an upsurge in recent years. This is due to the higher number of people who are immunocompromised as a result of various diseases or treatments, like people living with cancer.
More information
Media release: First cancer medicine decision following Pharmac funding boost
Media release: Pharmac opens first consultation for cancer medicines after funding boost
Voriconazole application – Application Tracker (includes clinical advice)(external link)
Cancer medicines we're working on
We want to fund it for:
VIPomas, glucagonomas, gastrinomas, insulinomas, carcinoid syndrome.
Neuroendocrine cancers that start in the neuroendocrine system, which makes and releases hormones that control many body functions.
Lanreotide acetate provides a longer lasting effect than currently funded treatments.
Current stage: We're considering your feedback
Consultation was open from 12 July to 29 July 2024
Next steps
We will consider your feedback thoroughly. Following that we will take the final proposal to Pharmac’s Board (or a delegate) for a decision. If approved, funding would be available from
More information
We want to fund it for:
People with renal cell carcinoma (renal cell adenocarcinoma, RCC) that has spread to other organs (metastatic). It would be funded for use with everolimus where a first treatment hasn't worked or the person has experienced bad side effects from the first treatment.
RCC is the most common type of kidney cancer. About 600 people are diagnosed with RCC each year in New Zealand.
We estimate that about 90 people with kidney cancer would receive lenvatinib in the first year of funding.
Current stage: We're considering your feedback
The consultation was open from 18 September 2024 to 2 October 2024
Proposal to fund lenvatinib for kidney, thyroid and liver cancers and widen access to everolimus
Next steps
We will consider your feedback thoroughly. Following that we will take the final proposal to Pharmac’s Board (or a delegate) for a decision. If approved, funding would be available from 1 December 2024.
More information
Media release: Making more new cancer treatments available for New Zealanders
Application Tracker – second line treatment of renal cell carcinoma(external link)
We want to fund it for:
People with a type of liver cancer, called hepatocellular carcinoma, that cannot be operated on (unresectable).
We estimate that about 75 people with liver cancer would receive lenvatinib in the first year of funding.
Current stage: We're considering your feedback
The consultation was open from 18 September 2024 to 2 October 2024
Proposal to fund lenvatinib for kidney, thyroid and liver cancers and widen access to everolimus
Next steps
We will consider your feedback thoroughly. Following that we will take the final proposal to Pharmac’s Board (or a delegate) for a decision. If approved, funding would be available from 1 December 2024.
More information
Media release: Making more new cancer treatments available for New Zealanders
Application Tracker – first line treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma(external link)
We want to fund it for:
People with thyroid cancer that:
- cannot be operated on (unresectable) and
- has spread to the area around the thyroid (locally advanced) or
- has spread to other organs (metastatic)
We estimate that about 15 people with thyroid cancer would receive lenvatinib in the first year of funding.
Current stage: We're considering your feedback
The consultation was open from 18 September 2024 to 2 October 2024
Proposal to fund lenvatinib for kidney, thyroid and liver cancers and widen access to everolimus
Next steps
We will consider your feedback thoroughly. Following that we will take the final proposal to Pharmac’s Board (or a delegate) for a decision. If approved, funding would be available from 1 December 2024.
More information
Media release: Making more new cancer treatments available for New Zealanders
Application Tracker – differentiated thyroid cancer(external link)
We want to fund it for:
People with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as an initial treatment (first line) where the cancer has a specific mutation.
We estimate that around 130 people would benefit from first line treatment with osimertinib each year.
Current stage: Considering feedback
The consultation was open from 13 September to 7 October 2024.
Proposal to fund treatments for lung cancer, breast cancer and respiratory conditions
Next steps
We will consider your feedback thoroughly. Following that we will take the final proposal to Pharmac’s Board (or a delegate) for a decision. If approved, funding would be available from 1 January 2025.
More information
We want to fund it for:
People with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as a subsequent treatment (second line) where the cancer has progressed after initial treatment with gefitinib or erlotinib.
We estimate that around 45 people would receive osimertinib in the second line setting in the first year of funding, however this would decrease over time as most people would access osimertinib in the first line setting.
Current stage: Considering feedback
The consultation was open from 13 September to 7 October 2024.
Proposal to fund treatments for lung cancer, breast cancer and respiratory conditions
Next steps
We will consider your feedback thoroughly. Following that we will take the final proposal to Pharmac’s Board (or a delegate) for a decision. If approved, funding would be available from 1 January 2025.
More information
We want to fund it for:
People with renal cell carcinoma who cannot take sunitinib because of negative side effects.
This gives people another alternative to treatment when sunitinib doesn't work for them.
Current stage: We're considering your feedback
Consultation was open from 12 July to 29 July 2024
Next steps
We will consider your feedback thoroughly. Following that we will take the final proposal to Pharmac’s Board (or a delegate) for a decision.
More information
We want to fund it for:
More people with metastatic renal cell carcinoma
Our clinical advisors have told us that sunitinib could help people live longer and stop the cancer progressing. We think about 30 more people would be able to get sunitinib each year.
Current stage: We're considering your feedback
Consultation was open from 12 July to 29 July 2024
Next steps
We will consider your feedback thoroughly. Following that we will take the final proposal to Pharmac’s Board (or a delegate) for a decision.
More information
We want to fund it for:
People with breast cancer that has spread (metastatic) that has progressed after initial treatment.
We estimate that around 120 people would receive T-DXd in the first year of funding, and that this would decrease to around 75 people each year after five years of funding.
Current stage: Considering feedback
The consultation was open from 13 September to 7 October 2024.
Proposal to fund treatments for lung cancer, breast cancer and respiratory conditions
Next steps
We will consider your feedback thoroughly. Following that we will take the final proposal to Pharmac’s Board (or a delegate) for a decision. If approved, funding would be available from 1 January 2025.
More information
Application tracker | Trastuzumab derutexcan for metastatic breast cancer(external link)
Non-cancer medicines we're working on
We want to fund it for:
People who have had a medical abortion, so they can test at home to ensure the abortion was complete. This saves people having to get blood tests.
We estimate about 9,300 people will benefit from the funding of this test in the first year.
Current stage: Consultation
Proposal to fund β-hCG low sensitivity urine test kits
Consultation closes: 5 pm Wednesday 30 October
Next steps
We will consider your feedback thoroughly. Following that we will take the final proposal to Pharmac’s Board (or a delegate) for a decision. If approved, funding would be available from 1 December 2024.
More information
Media release: Pharmac proposing to fund low sensitivity urine tests
Application Tracker | β-hCG low-sensitivity urine test kit (CheckToP®)(external link)
We want to fund it for:
People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (a disease of the lungs). We estimate that over 5,000 people would start using this inhaler in the first year, increasing to around 16,000 people each year after five years of funding.
We estimate that over 5,000 people would start using this inhaler in the first year, increasing to around 16,000 people each year after five years of funding.
Current stage: Considering feedback
The consultation was open from 13 September to 7 October 2024.
Proposal to fund treatments for lung cancer, breast cancer and respiratory conditions
Next steps
We will consider your feedback thoroughly. Following that we will take the final proposal to Pharmac’s Board (or a delegate) for a decision. If approved, funding would be available from 1 January 2025.
More information
We want to fund it for:
People with chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).
We anticipate around 18,000 additional people in New Zealand would access this medicine in the first year of funding. We expect these numbers would grow and after 5 years around 33,000 additional people would benefit from empagliflozin every year.
Current stage: We're considering your feedback
Consultation was open 20 August to 13 September 2024
Proposal to widen access to empagliflozin for chronic heart failure
Next steps
We will consider your feedback thoroughly. Following that we will take the final proposal to Pharmac’s Board (or a delegate) for a decision. If approved, funding would be available from 1 December 2024.
More information
Media release: Pharmac proposes to widen access to medicine used in the treatment of heart failure
We want to fund it for:
Malignant bowel obstruction.
Lanreotide acetate is easier to use than currently funded treatments.
Current stage: We're considering your feedback
Consultation was open from 12 July to 29 July 2024
Next steps
We will consider your feedback thoroughly. Following that we will take the final proposal to Pharmac’s Board (or a delegate) for a decision.
More information
We want to fund it for:
Acromegaly.
Lanreotide acetate provides a longer lasting effect than currently funded treatments.
Current stage: We're considering your feedback
Consultation was open from 12 July to 29 July 2024
Next steps
We will consider your feedback thoroughly. Following that we will take the final proposal to Pharmac’s Board (or a delegate) for a decision.
More information
We want to fund it for:
Infants and young children at very high risk of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Current stage: Considering feedback
The consultation was open from 13 September to 7 October 2024.
Proposal to fund treatments for lung cancer, breast cancer and respiratory conditions
Next steps
We will consider your feedback thoroughly. Following that we will take the final proposal to Pharmac’s Board (or a delegate) for a decision. If approved, funding would be available from 1 January 2025.
More information
Application tracker | Palivizumab to prevent RSV(external link)
We want to fund it for:
- Developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs) which are severe childhood epilepsy syndromes. These include syndromes such as Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, Dravet Syndrome, Infantile Epileptic Spasms Syndrome, Early Infantile Epileptic Encephalopathy, Epilepsy with myoclonic-atonic seizures.
- Refractory focal epilepsy, which are focal epilepsies that have not responded to at least three epilepsy treatments.
Funding zonisamide would give people with epilepsy more treatment options for these difficult to treat types of epilepsy.
We estimate that about 300 people in New Zealand would use zonisamide in the first year of funding. After 5 years, about 1,200 people would benefit.
Current stage: We're considering your feedback
Consultation was open from 18 July 2024 until 1 August 2024.
Next steps
We will consider your feedback thoroughly. Following that we will take the final proposal to Pharmac’s Board (or a delegate) for a decision. The pricing and timeframes for listing zonisamide would be notified as part of a Tender decision. Any products listed through the Tender would have Principal Supply Status until 30 June 2027.
More information
Other procurement that we're working on
Pharmac has issued a 'request for tenders' for bevacizumab to treat various cancers. We are asking suppliers to give us their best bids to meet our goals.
Request for tenders (RFT): Supply of bevacizumab
Media release: Making more new cancer treatments available for New Zealanders
Application Tracker | Funding applications for bevacizumab(external link)
We signaled this request for tenders in August 2024.
Media release: Pharmac indicates interest in funding cancer treatment bevacizumab
Who to contact
If you have questions about any of the items on this page, email enquiry@pharmac.govt.nz