Photo Source: Anna Tarazevich
PHARMAC has announced that Lenvatinib, branded as Lenvima, will be subsidised from December 1, 2024, providing around 110 New Zealanders with thyroid, liver, and kidney cancers access to this targeted therapy.
The move helps address a critical gap in treatment options, offering patients alternatives since its previously limited.
How Lenvatinib Works
Lenvatinib works by blocking key proteins that contribute to cancer spread, giving it a distinct advantage for patients whose cancers have not responded well to other treatments. The Lenvatinib helps slow disease progression by targeting the underlying mechanisms that allow tumours to grow.
Its ability to be taken at home also offers patients greater flexibility, enabling them to manage their treatment alongside their daily routines which gives them a sense or normalcy.
Enhanced Cancer Treatment Through Government Funding
Lenvatinib’s inclusion in this new funding initiative reflects PHARMAC’s ongoing efforts to improve cancer care across New Zealand. The decision to fund Lenvatinib follows recent increases in government health funding.
According to Dr David Hughes, PHARMAC’s Chief Medical Officer, “We know how important cancer medicines are to people’s lives, so we’re really pleased to provide more treatment options for people with these types of cancer.”
Government’s June 2024 Funding Boost
The funding for Lenvatinib is part of a broader package allocated by the Government in June 2024, which has enabled PHARMAC to approve 26 new medicines for both cancer and non-cancer conditions. Dr Hughes added, “Funding Lenvatinib will give some people with thyroid and liver cancer a treatment option they haven’t had before. It will give them the chance to have a better quality of life and live longer.”
A Second Treatment Option for Kidney Cancer
People with kidney cancer that has spread will also be eligible to receive Lenvatinib, which will be used in combination with another medication, everolimus, as a second-line treatment.
Alternatively, patients can choose to use Nivolumab, which PHARMAC will subsidise from 1 November 2024.