Today, PHARMAC has announced that from 1 May, 2024, they will be funding niraparib, a PARP inhibitor, for first-line and second line maintenance treatment of advanced, high-grade serous, platinum sensitive ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer, subject to eligibility criteria.
The Ovarian Cancer Foundation was pleased to see that niraparib would be funded for all people who meet eligibility criteria, irrespective of their BRCA gene mutational status.
This is a win for the ovarian cancer community, as it is expected to impact approximately 110 women in the first year, with that number increasing to 160 women per year, within five years.
Earlier this year, PHARMAC published a consultation, requesting feedback on their proposal to fund niraparib, a drug used for the maintenance treatment of advanced, high-grade, platinum-sensitive ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer.
The Ovarian Cancer Foundation was incredibly supportive of this proposal, as it meant women living with these types of ovarian cancer would have access to a modern medicine that could extend their lives.
For our submission, we asked for feedback about niraparib from our community, with many women sharing their experiences with us.
One woman shared, “I have been on niraparib for one year now. I started it in January 2023, at the end of my frontline treatment for HGSOC (stage 3C). I do not have any BRCA mutations, but I do have the BRIP1 mutation which likely means I’m HRD+ so my oncologist suggested that I try Niraparib. I started on 200mg per day but that was too strong, and I had blood issues (low WBC and haemaglobin). So, by May I was on 100 mg per day and it’s been fine ever since. I don’t get the high blood pressure that is one of the side effects. I feel back to normal now and I’m very happy to be taking Niraparib for as long as I can.”
As part of our submission, we advocated for PHARMAC to extend the funding to include women with high-grade endometrioid carcinoma, as this is treated in the same way as high-grade serous carcinoma, both within New Zealand and overseas.
As a result of our feedback, PHARMAC is going to consider this, and is seeking advice from the Cancer Treatments Advisory Committee.
In response to this funding announcement, our founder, Jane Ludemann, said, “Our community has told us having this treatment available will give them more time to spend with their whānau and help them know they’ve tried everything they can to be around to make more memories. As ovarian cancer is the least survivable women’s cancer, this is a significant step forward.”
Read the full release from PHARMAC on the PHARMAC website.
