KUALA LUMPUR, August 9 — The Ministry of Health (MOH) has admitted that budget constraints are impacting its ability to procure first-line chemotherapy drugs for cancer patients, as the cost of new treatments continues to rise.
Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad, in a written Dewan Negara reply to Senator Dr RA Lingeshwaran, said that higher costs are limiting the MOH’s budget for key first-line chemotherapy drugs, including:
- Topotecan used for treating retinoblastoma (eye cancer) and neuroblastoma (a cancer that develops from immature nerve cells).
- Temozolomide used for treating high-grade glioma (a type of brain tumour).
- Pegaspargase used for treating acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (a blood and bone marrow cancer).
- Arsenic Trioxide used for treating acute promyelocytic leukaemia (a blood and bone marrow cancer).
“With advancements in medical technology, more new drugs are being developed, including those for treating blood cancers. These drugs, used as first-line therapy, come with high costs,” Dzulkefly said.
“First-line therapy is not limited to chemotherapy alone; it also includes combinations of targeted therapy and immunotherapy. These drug combinations can improve treatment effectiveness, prognosis, cure rates, and patient quality of life.”
Dzulkefly said in response to the high costs, the MOH is requesting additional funding, prioritising treatment based on patient prognosis and cost-effectiveness, and implementing the Patient Access Scheme (PASc) to enhance access to expensive medications.
