Chris Walsh, Lesbian Health Campaigner, wins Victory for Herceptin Financing

Lesbian health campaigner Chris Walsh, one of the eight New Zealand  breast cancer patients called the ‘Herceptin Heroines’ – has  secured a High Court order for NZ’s medical funding agency Pharmac to reconsider its decision not to fund 12-month courses on the breast cancer-fighting drug.

In 2006, Pharmac decided against spending up to $30 million a year for the 12-month Herceptin programme for women with the aggressive HER2 positive form of breast cancer. It instead allocated $5m a year to allow suitable patients to undergo a nine-week course, and decided to budget $3.2 million towards participating in an international short-or-long-duration trial of Herceptin and has begun making payments, reports the NZPA.  http://www.gaynz.com/articles/publish/2/article_5773.php