Source: Radio New Zealand
Two new medicines for people with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia could be on the way, with Pharmac proposing to fund venetoclax with ibrutinib or with obinutuzumab.
If accepted, the combination therapies could be available as first line treatments from 1 May 2026.
Associate Health Minister David Seymour said CLL was not curable, but the right treatment meant patients could live longer.
They would help patients achieve longer lasting remission and avoid the need for traditional chemotherapy, Seymour said.
Associate Health Minister David Seymour said the right treatment for people with CCL could help patients live longer. RNZ / Mark Papalii
He said Pharmac heard from the blood cancer community these combination therapies would make a big difference for people with CLL, “especially when used at the beginning of treatment”.
It comes after public backlash following Budget 2024 failing to include promised funding for more cancer drugs, forcing the government to subsequently announce an extra $604 million for Pharmac over four years.
Since then, the government has funded seven blood cancer drugs, but in September 2025 some blood cancer patients were still saying the government was breaking its promise on life-saving drugs.
Blood Cancer New Zealand said at the time only 180 patients benefited from that uplift, less than 1 percent of all New Zealanders with a blood cancer.
On Wednesday, Seymour said people currently paying privately for these combinations could receive funded treatment in a private hospital, provided they meet the funding criteria at the time they began treatment.
“These combination medicines will be the second and third cancer medicines available in private clinics.
“When Pharmac fund a new cancer treatment, people already paying for that treatment privately are forced to make a very difficult choice: spend their savings to continue private treatment undisrupted, or transfer to a public hospital,” Seymour said.
He explained that patients had told Pharmac it was hugely disruptive and caused “significant stress during an immensely difficult period”.
Health Minister Simeon Brown said the government was committed to improving treatment and care for New Zealanders with cancer, including blood cancer.
“This announcement means more Kiwis with blood cancer will have access to medicines that improve their quality of life and help them live longer, fuller lives.
“We are also significantly expanding stem cell transplant services for patients with blood cancers and related conditions, helping more people access critical, life-saving treatment sooner.”
Consultation opens on Wednesday, and closes Wednesday 4 March. If approved, funding would begin from 1 May 2026.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
