Health Undersecretary Andrea Albagli confirmed that pembrolizumab, an immunotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer, will be offered free of charge to women treated in Chile's public health system (Fonasa).
The Health Ministry noted that triple-negative breast cancer affects between 10% and 15% of patients with this disease. Accordingly, the therapy will be incorporated into the public system under the Copago Cero policy, meaning no out-of-pocket costs.
«Breast cancer is the leading cause of premature mortality in our country, and among its subtypes there is one of particular concern that occurs mainly in younger women,» Albagli said.
The undersecretary added that this subtype «is more aggressive in its progression because it lacks hormone receptors, which means it does not respond to standard hormone treatments and often requires alternative, high-cost therapies.»
«Pembrolizumab is used to treat this form of breast cancer and, until now, families could only access it by paying out of pocket. Various estimates put the monthly cost at about 10 million pesos, and from today it will be provided free of charge to all Fonasa women through our High-Cost Drugs Program,» she added.
High-Cost Drugs Program
In September 2025, Health Minister Ximena Aguilera announced the successful conclusion of negotiations with pharmaceutical company MSD to add pembrolizumab (Keytruda®) to the High-Cost Drugs Program (DAC) for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).
This makes it the first immunotherapy available for TNBC in the public network and marks a shift in how the disease is treated. The measure is expected to benefit around 650 women each year in the public system, who will receive the therapy at no cost, narrowing the access gap between public and private care.
«Treatment for triple-negative breast cancer follows a multimodal approach that typically includes chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy, tailored to the stage and characteristics of the cancer,» said Health Minister Ximena Aguilera, who led the negotiations to reach this agreement.
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