Our submission to the Health Select Committee

We recently presented to the Health Select Committee. Sincere thanks to the many brave patients and carers for their letters, which highlight the terrible inequity that exists for lung cancer in NZ.

Click to view our submission –

2019 July – Lung Foundation NZ – Health Select Committee – Hearing for Lung Cancer Petition

Petition request
That the House of Representatives call on the Government to declare lung cancer a national health priority and to approve additional budget for Pharmac to fund lung cancer medications, including Keytruda, Alectinib, Osimertinib and Crizotinib, for all Kiwis with advanced lung cancer, irrespective of socio-economic status.

Petition reason
Lung cancer is NZ’s biggest cancer killer; every day 5 people die of lung cancer. The top 3 lung cancer drugs funded in NZ represent less than 3% of the top 5 cancer drugs, despite lung cancer being the most targetable cancer. We believe 80% of lung cancer patients do not have an effective first line treatment in NZ. The impact on patients to meet the cost of unfunded drugs can cause financial crisis and increased risk of suicide.