1 April 2017 - More than 300 people have been given another chance at life at a cost of more than $6.6 million thanks to the decision to fund three new immunotherapy drugs.

Advocates say lives are being prolonged and even saved, but are calling for more treatments to be made available.

Pharmac last year agreed to fund two new drugs which targeted advanced melanoma. In the first seven months Opdivo was available, 61 people had approval to use it and in the first five months Keytruda was funded, 223 people were approved.

Of those, 104 people were granted a renewal, which suggested the person benefited from treatment.

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