From 1 January, 50 previously non-reimbursed children’s cancer drugs will now be covered, announced Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke (Vooruit) on Saturday, allocating an initial budget of €3.2 million for the scheme.
These medicines are labelled “off-label” as the pharmaceutical industry hasn’t been incentivised to validate their use in children, the minister’s office explained. As a result, many children with cancer have struggled to access these crucial drugs despite their inclusion in standard treatment protocols. The KickCancer foundation, which aims to cure all children affected by the disease, raised concern about this arrangement last year.
“Each year, about a quarter of children with cancer in Belgium cannot have their medications reimbursed. This figure is unacceptably high. I am therefore particularly pleased that a structural solution has been found to this problem. Children with cancer will now have much easier access to standard treatments,” said Delphine Heenen, KickCancer’s founder.
In a new agreement effective from January, an appendix refers to the majority of medicines that are currently non-reimbursed, which will change from the start of next year (over 50), clarified the Health Secretary’s office.
Furthermore, the agreement establishes a steering committee which will meet annually to monitor its application, allowing oncologists and patients to potentially expand this list of medicines that can be reimbursed.
