Hi Jo

I sent PHARMAC an email to just see where they were at with this funding
recommendation. See their response below. Unfortunately this looks like another
case of a funding application stuck indefinitely in PHARMAC's "would be nice but
we ain't got the money" list.

--------------------------------
A positive PTAC (or Subcommittee) recommendation for funding is just the first
step in determining from a large set of funding applications for various other
medicines for different diseases which ones to progress for funding. The
application for wider access to temozolomide is being prioritised against other
medicines awaiting funding decisions taking into consideration PHARMAC's nine
decision criteria which include consideration of the clinical benefits and risks
and the relative cost-effectiveness.

Unfortunately, I am unable to give you any reassurance of when, or even if,
wider access to temozolomide would be funded. There is no definitive timeframe
for a decision to be made; this is because the relative priority of funding
temozolomide compared with other medicines may change over time. The relative
priority is dependent on the mix of other applications being assessed at any one
time, details like the amount of funding available and/or success of
negotiations with the suppliers and/or new clinical data can also change the
relative priorities of a funding choice over time. The dynamic and changing
nature of these inter-related issues over time is why we can never give an exact
timeframe for a final decision.

I can appreciate from your perspective that this process may look unnecessarily
slow and bureaucratic. However, careful prioritisation of spending is necessary
to ensure we fulfill our statutory objective, which is to obtain the best health
outcomes possible for all New Zealanders from within the funding provided. The
health budget is finite therefore we have to make difficult choices regarding
the next best spend of any available funds, and the potential opportunity costs
(ie what other medicines or health services need to be foregone) in order to
ensure that we fulfill our statutory objective.

---------------------------------

This stinks of course, but seems this is the system patients in NZ are up
against. I don't know what the latest research on TMZ for AA3 is, but if you can
find some positive research and send it through to PHARMAC it might bump the
application up the priority list a bit.

Chris


--- In nzbraintumour@yahoogroups.com, "jo binnie" <jo.binnie@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Chris
>
> Thanks for the info.
>
> Jo :)
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Tse Family
> To: nzbraintumour@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 6:06 PM
> Subject: [nzbraintumour] Re: anaplastic astrocytoma
>
>
>
>
>
> Hi Jo
>
> Awhile back a member of this list, Diane Toscano, wrote to Dr Peter Moodie
of PHARMAC about funding of TMZ (see posting #1484). In his reply he included an
excerpt from the cancer subcommittee minutes which stated:
>
> "The Subcommittee considered that patients with high grade anaplastic
astrocytoma were
> clinically very similar to glioblastoma multiforme patients, and therefore
recommended
> that the temozolomide Special Authority criteria be widened to include
treatment of these
> patients. Members considered that it was likely that such patients would
already be
> accessing funded treatment."
>
> I have not heard anything more since, but it may be worth you or your
oncologist contacting PHARMAC to see if they have made any progress on this.
>
> The subsidy for TMZ can be found on the PHARMAC website:
> http://www.pharmac.govt.nz/patients/Schedule?q=Temozolomide
>
> If you buy it from a pharmacy they will add GST and a retail margin on top -
it pays to bargain.
>
> Chris
>
> --- In nzbraintumour@yahoogroups.com, "kiwijo69" <jo.binnie@> wrote:
> >
> > hi everyone,
> >
> > its been a while since I've been on there group but I do check emails from
time to time.
> >
> > I'm in Christchurch and was originally diagnosed with a Grade2 Glioma and
so far have had 3 craniotomies (my most recent was 4th June) as twice MRIs have
shown enhancement. Histology has come back today that the tumour has changed to
Anaplastic Grade 3 so my surgeon has recommended radiotherapy for sure and
Temozolomide although i understand Temozolomide is not funded for grade 3.
> >
> > Just wondering if there's anyone on the list who know's the cost? Would
appreciate any feedback at all.
> >
> > Cheers
> >
> > Jo x
> > Christchurch
> >
>