The NSW Government will invest $20.7 million to support access to potentially life-changing therapies for rare blood cancers, blinding eye conditions and high-risk neuroblastoma as part of the 2025-26 Budget.
This funding boost will provide patients in NSW with access to highly specialised therapies including:
- CAR T-cell therapies used for treating adults and children with rare blood cancers. These are prepared by extracting immune cells from the patient, modifying the cells in a laboratory, and then reinfusing them into the patient to target and destroy cancer cells;
- a gene therapy for rare blinding eye condition, delivering a healthy copy of the gene to improve or restore vision; and
- a complex biological product for children with high-risk neuroblastoma, which binds to the cancer cells and supports the patient's immune system to destroy these cells.
This additional funding included in the Budget is critical to provide access for patients who require treatment for these conditions and would otherwise have limited or no treatment options available.
These specialised therapies are available at NSW's world-class treating centres, including Royal Prince Alfred, Westmead Hospital and the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network. The $20.7 million investment is in addition to $25 million in recurrent funding announced in the 2023-24 Budget.
This is in addition to the NSW Government's investment of more than $800 million in essential health services to help ease pressure on the state's busy public health system, as part of the 2025-26 State Budget.
This investment is critical to support the state's health services to expand following 12 years of neglect of our health system by the previous Liberal Government, who left it under-resourced and overwhelmed.
Quotes attributable to Treasurer Daniel Mookhey
"These are potentially life-changing treatments, and we are ensuring that anyone who needs them can access them.
"We are investing in advanced and innovative technologies, so patients have access to the best treatment possible.
"The 2025-26 Budget continues to invest in rebuilding our essential health services, to make sure people can access quality care when they need it.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Ryan Park
"We are ensuring patients living with rare and high-risk conditions can access highly specialised treatments to prolong and improve their lives. Without access to these therapies, many of these patients would have no viable treatment options.
"These treatments are transformative innovations in healthcare, and I am proud to say NSW is supporting access to as many eligible patients as we can.
"We know our health services have been experiencing sustained high demand over many years as a result of the previous Liberal government neglecting and under resourcing our public health system.
"Investments like this are vital parts of the Minns Labor Government's plan to deliver the essential services people rely on."
