HEALTH Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson has charged pharmaceutical companies to seek to improve research and development of drugs for non-communicable diseases, including cancer.

He said these drugs also need to be more affordable for clients and the Government, in keeping with the United Nations declaration on non-communicable diseases 2011.

Dr Ferguson was speaking at the launch by Roche of the drug Herceptin Subcutaneous, used for treating HER2 positive breast cancer.

The launch took place at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston on Wednesday.

“Jamaica and the world are facing one of the greatest public health challenges that threaten to undermine development in the 21st century — the epidemic of non-communicable diseases. Breast cancer is the fifth leading cause of death for Jamaican women; it is also the leading cause of cancer deaths and incidence in Jamaican women,” he said.

Ferguson said improving the continuum of care for cancer from prevention to palliative care has been the big ideas project in the Ministry of Health.

“We have embarked on the design and development of a cancer care system of excellence to be located at the St Joseph’s Hospital. In May, we signed a contract with Varian Medical Systems for about US$14.5 million to equip the centres. This is the largest contract we have ever done in relation to equipment. Under the contract, in addition to other essential pieces of equipment, we will receive two linear accelerators for state-of-the-art radiation treatment to be placed at the St Joseph’s and Cornwall Regional hospitals,” Dr Ferguson said.

He congratulated Roche and said Herceptin Subcutaneous being launched is an achievement and is set to revolutionise the landscape for the treatment of HER2 positive breast cancer.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Expert Committee Report 2013, Herceptin used to treat HER2 positive breast cancer was identified as an essential medicine and was included on the WHO essential list of medicines within the framework of a stepwise development of cancer care systems in the overall context of health system development.

There was a global commitment in 2012 to reduce premature deaths due to breast cancer by 25 per cent by 2025. They also committed to an 80 per cent availability of the affordable basic technologies and essential medicines, including generics, required to treat breast cancer in both public and private facilities.