Fully Funded Ibrutinib is finally coming to New Zealand!

[morepork]

But not as first line therapy alas, though some haematologists may perhaps work around these conditions. Venetoclax + Rituximab is already fully funded here

""Ibrutinib to be funded in New Zealand

People with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and certain clinical circumstances will have access to funded ibrutinib (Imbruvica) from 1 December 2022. This will mean funded access for people:

• whose disease progresses during treatment with venetoclax

• whose disease relapses within 3 years of treatment with venetoclax

• for whom venetoclax results in intolerable side effects

We estimate that in the first year approximately 30 people will be eligible for funding. We expect that this will increase with each year of funding. After five years over 100 people will be eligible for treatment with ibrutinib each year. ""

[Driverps1]

Hi,

I saw this update and personally I think Pharmac is a joke and likes to dangle a carrot. This is not funded in Nz as first line treatment as myself and many others have to self fund Ibrutinib. Nz is one of the wealthiest countries in the world and Pharmac still refuses to find drugs that have been funded in every other country. No wonder most Nz go to Australia or Uk to get treatment. Nz is not a good place to be if you need the best treatment the health system is broken. Thankyou Andrew Little.

[Garston in reply to Driverps1]

I Totally agree with you. 30 people after one year then 100 after five years is a joke .The only way to get treatment in NZ is a clinical trial.

[CLLerinOz Administrator Volunteer in reply to Garston]

The clinicaltrials.gov website lists some trial sites in New Zealand for a trial of a new BCL-2 inhibitor (BGB-11417). It was recently discussed in this post:

healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo...

It's one of the three trials currently listed on clinicaltrials.gov across a range of New Zealand trial sites:

clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/resu...

The other two are for:

a) venetoclax for relapsed/refractory CLL and

b) BRUIN-CLL 313 - pirtobrutinib vs bendamustine plus rituximab (BR) for treatment-naive CLL