Pharmac's decision to fund a non-Herceptin drug as a first-line treatment for advanced Her-2 positive breast cancer has been criticised by the Breast Cancer Foundation.
Cancer sufferers could now choose between Herceptin or lapatinib, Pharmac announced this month.
Breast Cancer Foundation chief executive Van Henderson said the decision was "no great leap forward", as lapatinib was better used as a second-line treatment when Herceptin failed.
"We would have loved to see lapatinib funded for this use, as it has been in Australia since 2008," she said in a press release.
In Pharmac's press statement, medical director Dr Peter Moodie said lapatinib was more convenient.
"[The drug] will make treatment more convenient for those breast cancer patients who choose to receive it instead of [Herceptin], because it avoids the need for them to go to hospital every three weeks for infusion treatments.
"It also means that if patients choose lapatinib rather than [Herceptin], DHB hospitals will have additional capacity for treating cancer patients, which will help reduce waiting times for cancer treatment, one of the Government's key health targets."
When it came to office in 2008, the Government controversially decided to provide funding for a 12-month course of Herceptin, after Pharmac had declined to fund it beyond nine weeks.
