Taipei: Taiwan’s health authority announced plans to expand the existing National Health Insurance (NHI) coverage to include three types of cancer immunotherapies, set to be effective from June at the earliest. The expanded coverage will now encompass first-line treatments for non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), metastatic colorectal cancer, and early stages of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), as per the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA).

According to Focus Taiwan, approximately 2,700 to 3,400 patients are expected to benefit from this new measure immediately. An estimated NT$3.295 billion (US$101.28 million) will be allocated annually from a dedicated cancer fund to subsidize these cancer immunotherapies. Huang Yu-wen, director of the administration’s Medical Review and Pharmaceutical Benefits Division, noted that cancer patients could save between NT$1.71 million (US$52,564) and NT$2.47 million in medical expenses each year.

NSCLC patients will be the largest group to benefit, with numbers estimated between 1,581 and 1,930, followed by those with TNBC and metastatic colorectal cancer at 826-897 and 265-587, respectively. The goal is to implement this new coverage plan by June.

According to NHIA, the decision aligns with international treatment guidelines, drawing reference from the United States’ National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). Based on NCCN information, pembrolizumab and atezolizumab are two drugs effectively used to treat NSCLC. The inclusion of these three types of cancer immunotherapies into the NHI system, which covers pembrolizumab and atezolizumab, followed extensive discussions with various local medical communities and patient groups.