Pharmac extends limit for cancer medicine to be funded in private hospitals

Associate Health Minister David Seymour welcomed Pharmac’s decision to extend the 12-month transitional access funding limit for Pertuzumab with trastuzumab (Phesgo) for patients receiving treatment for certain types of breast cancer in private clinics. The extension addresses concerns that patients already paying privately for treatment would face difficult choices between depleting savings or transferring to public hospitals, which could hinder recovery.

Under the Government’s transitional access policy, cancer medicines funded by Pharmac after 1 July 2025 can be administered in private clinics for up to 12 months. Pertuzumab with trastuzumab became the first such medicine available in private settings in December for patients with metastatic or locally recurrent unresectable breast cancer.

Pharmac received requests from multiple private treatment centres to extend the 12-month limit for this medicine. The extension will allow around 15 patients expected to exceed the limit in the next 6–12 months to continue publicly funded treatment in private settings without interruption.

Unlike many cancer treatments completed within 12 months, Pertuzumab with trastuzumab is often used for longer periods, typically until the cancer progresses. The 12-month limit will remain in place for all other cancer medicines, though exceptions may be revisited if the policy’s intent is not met.