Review of cancer drugs for previously treated advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

Published on 04 Jan 2022
Last Updated on 02 Jan 2024

Guidance Recommendations

The Ministry of Health’s Drug Advisory Committee has recommended:

• Cabozantinib 20 mg, 40 mg and 60 mg tablets; and

• Regorafenib 40 mg tablet

for treating advanced unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with disease progression after one or more prior lines of systemic therapy, and who have adequate liver function as assessed by the Child-Pugh scoring system.

Subsidy status

Regorafenib 40 mg tablet is recommended for inclusion on the Medication Assistance Fund (MAF) for the abovementioned indication with effect from 4 January 2022.

Cabozantinib 20 mg, 40 mg and 60 mg tablets are recommended for inclusion on the MAF for the abovementioned indication with effect from 1 September 2022.

MAF assistance does not apply to any formulations or strengths of ramucirumab, pembrolizumab, nivolumab and ipilimumab when used for previously treated advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Clinical indications, subsidy class and MediShield Life claim limits for all drugs included in the evaluation are provided in the Annex.

Review of cancer drugs for previously treated advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (Updated 2 Jan 2024) [PDF, 167 KB]

PES Treatments for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (Updated 19 December 2022) [PDF, 86 KB]