Our statement on the decision to widen access to immunotherapy

We welcome the recent Pharmac announcement that from 1 October patients with previously untreated recurrent or metastatic mucosal squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract will be able to access fully funded KEYTRUDA. Pembrolizumab has a favourable side-effect profile, and is tolerated by some patients unable to have chemotherapy.

Until now, we have seen significantly poorer outcomes and survival for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients in New Zealand compared to other countries we benchmark ourselves against, such as Australia, as a result of the lack of funding for pembrolizumab in the public setting. 

Some patients who do not meet the funding criteria, are able to self-fund their immunotherapy – creating health inequities of outcomes for head and neck cancer patients which needs to be addressed. Treatment options available to head and neck cancer patients have been stagnant for many years, are extremely harsh, and significantly impact on quality of life both in the long and short term.

This announcement represents a step in the right direction, but further funded treatments, as well as medical research, are vital to make the strides needed to improve outcomes for head and neck cancer patients. 

We hope that, in the near future, this access to immunotherapy will extend to include patients with recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma of the skin origin and nasopharynx.