A step forward for cancer infusion access
The Ovarian Cancer Foundation New Zealand welcomes the Government’s announcement to expand community-based cancer infusion services across Aotearoa. New and expanded services have begun in some areas, with the full roll out expected to be completed in 2028. Read the full Government announcement. For women living with ovarian cancer, this is a positive and practical […]
Pharmac to fund bevacizumab for ovarian cancer
New Zealand women with ovarian cancer finally have funded access to bevacizumab. Pharmac’s announcement on 12 February 2025 comes ten years after the treatment was funded in Australia, and follows a long fight by the Ovarian Cancer Foundation New Zealand (OCFNZ) to get women access, with Pharmac proposing to decline the application twice in recent […]
Update on Funding Application for Bevacizumab in Ovarian Cancer
The Ovarian Cancer Foundation New Zealand (OCFNZ) is incredibly pleased to hear that bevacizumab will likely be funded for women with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer in the near future. In September, Pharmac made a Request For Tender to suppliers, which is an important step towards funding in New Zealand. While the funding outcome is not […]
Report Progress & Meetings With Health Leaders
An advocacy update from our founder Jane Ludemann Over the past few years, we have worked hard to effect positive change for our ovarian cancer community, advocating for improvements in ovarian cancer care. I am pleased with the progress we are seeing and would like to share some of the steps being taken. A summary […]
PHARMAC announcement on niraparib funding
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 […]
Our Response To The Government Review Of PHARMAC
The government released a review into Pharmac yesterday to assess how well Pharmac performs against its objectives and whether its performance could be improved, with a focus on equitable outcomes among different ethnic groups, including Māori and Pacific Islanders. The report was not allowed to recommend an increase to Pharmac’s funding. Per capita New Zealand […]
Health Select Committee Submission Update
In July, Jane and fellow trustee Liz Pennington met with the Health Select Committee (HSC) for our oral submission, the final step in our National Ovarian Cancer Report submission to parliament. This in-person submission was an opportunity to take the words off the page and make sure our recommendations were heard and given the best […]
We’re Meeting With The Health Select Committee To Call For Urgent Action
On Wednesday, 19 July, we are meeting with the Health Select Committee at parliament to call for the urgent improvements to the diagnosis, treatment and research of ovarian cancer that are needed to help save women’s lives. Misdiagnosis, a lack of funded treatment and clinical trials and a lack of research are all problems we […]
National Ovarian Cancer Report
During Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month in September, Cure Our Ovarian Cancer submitted our Health Select Committee Report to the Health Select Commitee for consideration. It is the culmination of more than a year and a half of research and consultation with affected people, researchers, doctors, nurses and other specialities.At over 145 pages long, it represents […]
Pharmac Respond To Our Submission On Avastin
Almost a year ago, Pharmac put out a proposal to decline 97 medications, including Avastin, for advanced ovarian cancer. Cure Our Ovarian Cancer made a submission strongly opposing this move and we are pleased to say that Pharmac listened to our feedback and agreed not to decline the application for now. They quoted the issues […]