Pharmacy Board Approves Early Treatment of Janssen's Prostate Cancer Drug »Capital News

By CORRESPONDENT, NAIROBI, Kenya, July 19 – The Council of Pharmacies and Poisons (SCH) has approved the use of a prescription drug manufactured by Janssen, one of Johnson & Johnson's pharmaceutical companies, for the treatment of prostate cancer.

The local drug regulatory agency has approved the use of Janssen's single-dose ZYTIGA® (abiraterone acetate) once-a-day drug for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer prior to chemotherapy.

This approval should help strengthen ongoing efforts to reduce existing barriers to accessing cancer care.

The prescription-only (non-generic) oncology drug is distributed locally by Janssen Kenya as part of the global pharmaceutical company's commitment to improve access to essential medicines.

Expressing, when he confirmed the approval, Marseille Onyango, national director of Janssen Kenya, said that prior to approval, ZYTIGA had only been authorized that for the treatment of advanced cases of prostate cancer after chemotherapy.

Onyango, while speaking to health professionals in Nairobi, confirmed that ZYTIGA has gradually gained international recognition as a broad-based treatment drug for prostate cancer.

"At the global level, Janssen Pharmaceutical is committed to providing therapeutic options with exceptional services," said Onyango.

Earlier this year, Janssen Kenya also received the go-ahead from the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), which clbadified ZYTIGA as an innovative reimbursable drug as part of a joint commitment by both companies to improve the quality of life. access to essential medicine for local prostate cancer. the patients.

"The local approval of the Council of Pharmacy and Poisons, for what we call in clinical terms; an expanded indication of ZYTIGA, addresses a critical medical need by providing local physicians with an important tool for the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer resistant to castration in men who have not received chemotherapy, said Onyango. In addition, "as part of the Janssen Kenya Prostate Cancer Program in collaboration with Axios International, a company specializing in healthcare access, ZYTIGA will remain available to all patients, including members of the NHIF who realize considerable savings.

For his part, Dr. Eric Muchangi, head of medical affairs for Janssen Kenya Country, expressed his optimism that the drug will provide much needed relief to prostate cancer patients and their families.

"ZYTIGA works by inhibiting the enzymatic complex necessary for the production of androgens in the testes, adrenal glands and tumor tissue of the prostate. Having ZYTIGA as a new therapeutic option in Kenya, prior to chemotherapy, will give hope to patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and their families while they continue to struggle against the disease, "said Dr. Muchangi.

Earlier this year, Judy Otele, head of claims and claims at NHIF, revealed that with Janssen Kenya's prostate cancer project, NHIF had successfully negotiated the price reduction. of ZYTIGA from 200,000 to about 100,000 Sh.

Johnson & Johnson's Janssen Pharmaceuticals is the largest and largest healthcare company in the world. Janssen envisions a world where cancer is a preventable, chronic or curable disease and focuses on developing solutions that extend and improve the lives of patients to achieve it.

To ensure a coordinated response to the fight against cancer in Kenya, the 2017-2022 National Cancer Control Strategy (NCCS) was developed to serve as a framework to guide all stakeholders supporting the fight against cancer in Kenya. .

The strategy addresses the entire cancer ecosystem, from prevention to survival, and is organized around five pillars: prevention, early detection and screening, diagnosis, registration and surveillance, treatment, palliative care and survival, coordination , partnership and funding, monitoring, evaluation and research.

Cancer is one of the major noncommunicable diseases in Kenya and ranks third among the causes of death after infectious diseases and cardiovascular diseases. It is estimated that there are 40,000 new cases each year and about 28,000 cancer-related deaths each year. More than 70% of cancer cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage, when treatment results are poor and palliative care is generally the only possible treatment.

Currently, the NHIF package includes up to 10 chemotherapy sessions, oral and injectable anticancer medicines, inpatient and outpatient oncology services, 20 radiotherapy sessions and up to two treatment sessions. brachytherapy for advanced cancer, per year. Health facilities that offer this program include Level 5 and 6 hospitals and some private hospitals located in urban centers.

The NHIF covers six sessions for front-line treatment at 25,000 shillings per session, four sessions for second- and third-line treatments up to 150,000 shillings per session and 20 sessions of radiotherapy at 3,600 shillings per session. session. The biopsy is covered by the surgical package. Radiology is also performed during the diagnostic phase, including MRI, ultrasound or CT and PET, also covered by the NHIF.