By Rodger Tiedemann 5 Sep, 2023 05:00 AM OPINION It is distressing to have to tell my cancer patients, in each and every clinic, that effective treatments exist that could significantly extend their lives, but that sadly these treatments are not available in New Zealand. We are not speaking of the latest cutting-edge medicines. Far from it....Continue Reading
The Shawview Report, commissioned by Johnson & Johnson, is a valuable, timely round-up of the inherent problems in our medicines funding system and offers some good solutions, including innovative funding mechanisms in action in other countries, as well as the immediate need to fund Pharmac’s current backlog of approved medicines waiting for funding. If...Continue Reading
It takes the nation’s drug-buying agency, Pharmac, an average of 7.7 years to make funding decisions about potentially life-saving medicines, a report has found. The Pharmac’s Medicines Waiting Lists: Impacts on Patients in Aotearoa New Zealand report, commissioned by lobby group Medicines New Zealand found it took on an average nearly eight years to reach a decision on applications across...Continue Reading
In the first two months of 2021, 27 patients were harmed by cancer treatment delays, the Otago Daily Times reported. Three became so sick while waiting they were unfit for treatment. Have you been affected? Please email: newsdesk@nzherald.co.nz Please read more here: Cancer patients harmed by treatment delaysContinue Reading
Myeloma New Zealand has made a submission on the Therapeutic Products Bill, as it has implications for Myeloma Patients. The Chair of the Health Committee has called for public submissions on the Therapeutic Products Bill. Therapeutic Products are medicines, medical devices, natural health products, and pharmaceutical ingredients. The bill seeks to provide for the regulation...Continue Reading
The Australasian Myeloma Research Consortium (AMaRC) in collaboration with theAustralasian Leukaemia & Lymphoma Group (ALLG) and the Myeloma and Related DiseasesRegistry (MRDR) is conducting a phase II study to investigate the optimal usage oflenalidomide and/or bortezomib in newly-diagnosed transplant-ineligible myeloma patientsbased on a frailty score (frailty is characterised by a decline in body functions). If...Continue Reading
The New Zealand Myeloma Interest Group is comprised of representative haematologists from District Health Boards around the country with a special interest and expertise in MM. We reviewed the currently available evidence, including randomised controlled trials, retrospective data and conference abstracts, and interpreted these in the context of treatment options available in New Zealand to...Continue Reading
Myeloma experts convened in person and online for the 2022 Multiple Myeloma Queenstown Summit, hosted by Myeloma New Zealand. This year’s meeting included presentations from local and international experts, including the Chief Medical Officer of the International Myeloma Foundation, Professor Joseph Mikhael, Assistant Professor Jonathan Keats from Arizona, and Professor Simon Harrison and Dr Simon...Continue Reading
MEDIA RELEASE 7 September 2022 New Zealanders living with multiple myeloma, a deadly, relapsing/remitting blood cancer, are mounting a major, evidence-based campaign to press Pharmac into funding a transformative treatment that has been standard-of-care throughout the OECD for more than 5 years. Myeloma patient and trustee of Myeloma NZ Nichola Oakenfull says patients who’ve...Continue Reading
OPINION: How long does it take you to make a decision about whether or not to buy something? You’ve got all the information in front of you. You know it’s a good product. It works. You need it. And you’ve got the money to buy it. So how long will it take? What if I said...Continue Reading
