- Hon David Seymour
Associate Health Minister David Seymour welcomes Pharmac's decision to fund two new combination therapies for people with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), a type of blood cancer.
"Improving access to cancer medication in New Zealand is important to cancer patients, and their families. That's why it has been a focus of this Government," Mr Seymour says.
Pharmac has decided to fund two combination treatments and widen access to ibrutinib for people with CLL from 1 May 2026. Under this decision:
- People with CLL will be able to receive venetoclax with ibrutinib or venetoclax with obinutuzumab as first‑line treatments, meaning they can be used as an initial treatment option rather than after other treatments have been tried.
- Access to ibrutinib will be widened so it can be used on its own as a second line treatment for people whose CLL has not responded to a previous treatment, has come back, or where earlier treatment has caused intolerable side effects.
"It's important to the patient community that their voice is heard. That's why Pharmac consult the community on funding proposals before a final decision is made," Mr Seymour says.
"Earlier this year Pharmac consulted the blood cancer community on a proposal to fund two new combination therapies for people with CLL. Pharmac heard from the community and from their clinical advisors that venetoclax with ibrutinib or obinutuzumab will make a big difference for people with CLL, especially when used at the beginning of treatment.
"Venetoclax with ibrutinib or obinutuzumab will help patients achieve longer lasting remission and avoid the need for traditional chemotherapy. Two of these medicines will be available in pill form, which don't require an IV drip and could mean fewer hospital visits. The use of these combination treatments is expected to save an estimated 3,700 infusion hours saved each year.
"Pharmac also received feedback highlighting the need for ibrutinib on its own as an option for people who can't use other available medicines. So, Pharmac will fund ibrutinib on its own as a second-line treatment for people whose CLL has not responded to a previous treatment, has come back, or where earlier treatment has caused side effects.
"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. Patients told Pharmac the latter was hugely disruptive and caused significant stress during an immensely difficult period. Obinutuzumab will be another cancer medicine available in private clinics.
"People currently paying privately for the combination treatments could receive funded treatment in a private hospital, provided they met the funding criteria at the time they began treatment.
"This funding decision is another example of the new culture at Pharmac. The patient community used to picket outside Pharmac. Now, they're in the room with Pharmac making decisions.
"Patients are reaping the benefits. Since this Government took over we've allocated Pharmac its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, and a $604 million uplift Pharmac. With that money, Pharmac has made 133 decisions to fund or widen access to medicines. This includes decisions on 46 cancer medicines. Over 200,000 patients have benefited."
