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Myeloma New Zealand is welcoming Pharmac's announcement of more blood cancer medicines, but says the country is still well behind the rest of the world.
Pharmac have put out a request for a proposal for the supply of lenalidomide and pomalidomide to treat multiple myeloma.
"We understand there is a high unmet health need for people with multiple myeloma," said Pharmac's Director Advice and Assessment/Chief Medical Officer, Dr David Hughes.
Myeloma is New Zealand's second most common blood cancer.
Lenalidomide is already available to some myeloma patients who meet certain treatment criteria, but Myeloma New Zealand chair Barbara Horne said the potential for expanded access to this medicine was welcomed.
Pomalidomide however is not currently funded.
"The potential to have pomalidomide as a new funded treatment is very exciting, especially as it is nine years since we have had a new myeloma medicine funded in New Zealand," Horne said.
Myeloma New Zealand trustee Nichola Oakenfull said having access to those medicines through Pharmac would be a huge cost saver for patients.
She said many were either paying for them privately or importing them from overseas.
"We're getting to the point where we're actually just so far behind the rest of the world," Oakenfull said.
She said that raised concern over the health system's ability to catch up with treatments.
One of those missing treatments was daratumumab, which Oakenfull said was standard in treatment overseas, but was not accessible in New Zealand.
Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand medical director Peter Browett said wider access to medicines was still needed.
He said funding more modern and efficacious therapies, including daratumumab needed to be a priority.
