Herceptin to be preferred target therapy medication

Starting in January, BNHI will pay for target therapy drug Herceptin for eligible early stage breast cancer cases. Currently, there are about 450 patients fitting the bureau's criteria and can expect to save about NT$800,000 a year in prescriptions against the bureau's additional NT$300 million outlay.

Breast cancer is fourth deadliest cancer for women. If a breast cancer patient's malignant cells contain overly active Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2 (HER2), then the chance for the spreading of the cancer greatly multiplies resulting in early recurrence and lower survival rates, said BNHI official Shen Mao-ting.

Herceptin has been approved as a payable drug for cancers that have transferred to the breasts from other parts of the body since 2002, costing the bureau about NT$500 million each year. However, early stage breast cancer patients were required to bear the entire financial burden for the use of this treatment, even if they present with over active HER2.

Under the new plan, Herceptin is elevated to a preferred drug for post-surgery or post-chemotherapy patients with over active HER2 to prevent the spread of the cancer cells.

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