Pharmac has announced funding for two drug combinations to treat a kind of blood cancer.
From May 1, people with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, or CLL, would be able to access combination treatments of venetoclax with either ibrutinib or obinutuzumab.
Pharmac would also widen access to ibrutinib on its own as a second-line treatment, and change the access criteria so that people who had been self‑funding venetoclax or ibrutinib could switch to the funded combination treatment.
Pharmac said the move would reduce strain on the health system, as venetoclax and ibrutinib were oral medicines which people could take at home, rather than needing regular hospital infusions.
Annually, the changes were expected to affect about 140 people, and reduce strain on the hospitals by about 3700 infusion hours.
There had been public backlash following Budget 2024 which failed 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 a number of additional blood cancer drugs.
Pharmac's manager of pharmaceutical funding, Claire Pouwels, said: "This decision gives people with CLL more options that can fit better around their lives."
"For some people, that could mean fewer hospital visits and less time planning their lives around treatment."
Venetoclax, ibrutinib and obinutuzumab were already used to treat blood cancers, but these combinations were not funded together as a first treatment option for CLL.
The medicines work in different and complementary ways to target CLL cells, and evidence suggested the combinations could help people achieve longer periods of remission while avoiding traditional chemotherapy.
CLL was a slow‑growing blood cancer, Pouwels said. While it could not be cured, many people could live well for long periods with the right treatment.
The decision followed consultation with people with CLL, their families, clinicians, and consumer advocacy groups.
"While we weren't able to make every change suggested, we listened carefully," Pouwels said. "The feedback shaped this decision and will continue to inform our future work."
