Pharmac says it won’t limit access to new breast cancer drug ribociclib [Video]

The medicines regulator says it won’t limit access to a new breast cancer drug, despite the Breast Cancer Foundation saying otherwise.

The foundation appeared on AM on Thursday, concerned that some patients would miss out on ribociclib, sold under brand name Kisqali.

Geraldine MacGibbon, pharmaceuticals director at Te Pātaka Whaioranga/Pharmac, joined AM on Friday.

She admitted there had been a communication breakdown.

“When we made the decision we didn’t make the changes that they had asked for, and when we notified the decision we said that we were open to changes, and that we would be happy to consider a funding application,” MacGibbon said.

She said the agency released its decision to fund two new cancer drugs on Wednesday, one for a type of breast cancer and the other for a type of blood cancer.

“We absolutely understand that people want access to these treatments,” she told AM co-host Lloyd Burr.

“We did not make it clear that …