Making more new cancer treatments available for New Zealanders

We want to hear from you about a proposal to fund lenvatinib for the treatment of three different types of cancer, from 1 December 2024, subject to eligibility criteria. We are proposing to:

• fund lenvatinib for kidney, thyroid and liver cancer from 1 December 2024.
• widen access to everolimus for kidney cancer (in combination with lenvatinib) from 1 December 2024.

This is through a provisional agreement with Eisai New Zealand Limited for Lenvatinib.

More information about the proposal

This proposal would mean that lenvatinib would be funded for people with:

• differentiated thyroid cancer
• advanced, unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer)
• renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer), in combination with everolimus.

We anticipate that around 180 people would receive lenvatinib in the first year of funding, approximately 15 people with thyroid cancer, 75 people with liver cancer and 90 people with kidney cancer. This would reduce to 145 people after five years. The people receiving lenvatinib for kidney cancer would also receive everolimus.

This funding proposal is part of a package of additional funding allocated by the Government in June 2024. The funding boost enables Pharmac to fund a number of new medicines and to widen access to medicines that are already funded for both cancer and non-cancer health conditions.

Questions and answers about Pharmac's funding boost

We are hoping to have lenvatinib available for New Zealanders from 1 December 2024, subject to eligibility criteria.

More information about the proposal

The RFT shared today (Wednesday 18 September) is Pharmac’s formal request to suppliers to submit bids outlining how their bevacizumab product could achieve the RFT’s intended outcomes and meet budgets.

Funding applications for bevacizumab for a number of different cancer types are currently under assessment or ranked on our options for investment list, so it is a treatment we have said we want to fund.

The funding boost announced in June 2024 has enabled Pharmac to progress work to fund a number of new medicines and to widen access to medicines that are already funded for both cancer and non-cancer health conditions.

Questions and answers about Pharmac's funding boost

For more information about the RFT

The next step involves evaluating the bids received. We would release a public consultation before any decision on funding for bevacizumab.

We expect to publish a consultation in December 2024. This date may be subject to change.

We cannot be certain that this procurement process will result in funding for bevacizumab for all cancer types, as this will depend on the bids received and the amount of available funding.

We have communicated to suppliers that our ideal date of supply is April 2025. 

This date could change depending on lead times, bids, and suppliers' ability to get medicine into New Zealand.