Breast cancer is one of the deadliest illnesses that is affecting more and more number of people today. Thus, to help serve breast cancer patients who have unfortunately reached the severe stages of the illness with cancer spreading to other parts of their body as well, Pharmac has started funding a new drug Lapatinib which, the experts are suggesting, will prove an alternative to Herceptin (the commonly used cancer fighting drug).

In its recent statement of Friday, Pharmac, the State drug-buying agency, cleared about its new funding strategies to help breast cancer patients fight their illness. The seconding funding information that came from the agency was about another targeted cancer treatment, Pazopanib, that the agency said will help serve the treatment of advanced kidney cancer.

Statements from Medical Director Peter Moodie cleared about the new drugs, which will serve the cancer patients in the form of pills, thereby avoiding the need for infusions in hospital.

Health authorities are estimating to serve approximately 180 patients every year with the newly-introduced treatments.

The above new medicines will be funded by Pharmac in an agreement with GlaxoSmithKline from April 1, 2012. Both the newly-introduced treatments, lapatinib (Tykerb) to treat advanced HER2 positive breast cancer and pazopanib (Votrient) for treatment of advanced kidney cancer, will be orally administered to the patients and will help them fight cancerous cells present in their body.

The new treatments are recent alternatives being suggested for funded cancer treatment options like trastuzumab (Herceptin) for advanced HER 2 positive breast cancer patients and sunitinib (Sutent) for advanced kidney cancer patients. Moreover, due to their oral administration, the researchers are suggesting both the new treatments as more convenient for patients.