Diane Edwards and Chris Walsh are part of a group called the Herceptin Heroines, a group of eight women who took PHARMAC to court to review whether breast cancer drug Herceptin should be funded for 12 months instead of 9 weeks.
And today their long running battle came to an end but not in the way they had hoped.
PHARMAC says the decision was not all about the money and in its eleven years, this is the hardest decision it has had to make.
A company spokesperson said “This is not about the cost of Herceptin. This decision rests solely on whether or not funding 12 months would produce further health benefits.”
But that's little consolation for the Herceptin Heroines, who are still in debt after funding their own Herceptin treatments, in some cases up to $90,000.
The New Zealand Breast Cancer Specialist Group says it is disappointed at the decision and will meet tonight to discuss taking further action.
source: newshub archive
