1 00:00:00,760 --> 00:00:03,360 Speaker 1: Fire mac moving closer to banking two new drugs for 2 00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:10,119 Speaker 1: people living with chronic lymphiatic leukemia. If a proved treatments 3 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 1: could dramatically improve the last span of blood cancer patients, 4 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:16,200 Speaker 1: with access possible from as early as May. Tim Edmonds 5 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:18,600 Speaker 1: is Blood Cancer New Zealand CEO and with me this morning. 6 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: Hey Tim, Well you're right, Elliott, I'm good, thank you. 7 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:25,600 Speaker 1: What does a new treatment do that others don't Well. 8 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:28,760 Speaker 2: This is a really important step for treatment of blood 9 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:32,279 Speaker 2: can to patients, particularly our patients, because it takes as 10 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:35,519 Speaker 2: targeted approach to what they call first line treatments. So 11 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 2: once a patient is initially diagnosed, being able to access 12 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:43,960 Speaker 2: a targeted therapy rather than a chemotherapy is a really 13 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 2: important step here. So patients at the moment would be 14 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:51,160 Speaker 2: exiting a chemotherapy potentially up to twenty hospital visits over 15 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 2: six months, whereas they can actually take an oral tablet 16 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 2: upheld every day from home without those same hospitalizations and 17 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 2: actually get better outcomes. So it's really important for patients 18 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:04,880 Speaker 2: as they're diagnosed and initially treated. 19 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:07,760 Speaker 1: How important was it because what you're saying is you 20 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:10,199 Speaker 1: have fewer people in hot visit having to go into 21 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:12,479 Speaker 1: hospital to have treatment, they can do it at home. 22 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 1: How important was the change that the government made to 23 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:17,680 Speaker 1: the mandate to say you need to look at the 24 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:20,800 Speaker 1: overall benefit of these new. 25 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 2: Drugs yesterday when it was announced by the Minstery of Health, 26 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 2: that was specifically referenced around the efficiencies to a health system. 27 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:32,280 Speaker 2: And I think that's the opportunity with modern medicines is 28 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:36,479 Speaker 2: that it achieves not only better outcomes for patients, but 29 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:39,760 Speaker 2: it can also improve efficiencies from their health system. And 30 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 2: you can imagine the costs are associated with twenty hospital 31 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 2: visits and then the complications that often come with chemotherapy 32 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 2: and the long term challenges of chemotherapy's toxicity. So this 33 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:53,240 Speaker 2: is a really important step that many health systems around 34 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 2: the world have taken many years ago, and it's available 35 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 2: in many bud cancers because atsually it's at the forefront 36 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 2: of these the therapies. So, yeah, that leans of both 37 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:05,920 Speaker 2: how do we improve patient outcomes, how do we improve 38 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 2: how system efficiency really come together in this proposed announcement. 39 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 1: Tim, what's next on your list? 40 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, heading into last election, there was a promise 41 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:20,600 Speaker 2: to not leave blood cancer patients behind. Some of those 42 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 2: commitments have been made and this is a great example 43 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 2: of one of them. But there were commitments to my 44 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:28,919 Speaker 2: owner patients that haven't been met to wider blood cancer patients, 45 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 2: and they all set on this medicine's weightlift that FARMAC have. 46 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 2: So far. MAK have said that these are cost effective, 47 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:37,359 Speaker 2: that they are important medicines for the government to fund, 48 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:40,680 Speaker 2: but at the moment there's no money allocated to far 49 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 2: MAK to fund any new medicines. So we're really looking 50 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 2: to budget and to the election to make sure that 51 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 2: actually New Zealand is not left behind. New Zealanders with 52 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 2: these blood cancers are not left behind in their treatment options. 53 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 1: Appreciate your time this morning. Tim tim Edmond's Blood Cans 54 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:56,639 Speaker 1: in New Zealand. 55 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 2: For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge and live 56 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 2: to news Talks. 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