Calls grow to bring CAR-T cell therapy into New Zealand’s public health system
Calls are growing to bring CAR-T cell therapy to New Zealand as the current trial is set to end later this year. There is no clear path to public availability.
CAR-T cell therapy is facing growing calls to be introduced in New Zealand. The current trial of the life changing cancer treatment is set to end at later this year, but there's no clear path to making it available through the public health system.
Malaghan Institute Clinical Director says this treatment will improve many people's outcomes. Much of the infrastructure is there and one of the main motivations of setting up this trial here is just to skill up, because it's clear the big international pharmacies weren't going to come to New Zealand, we're a small market.
In 2017, David Downs thought he had the flu. Tests revealed non-Hodgkin lymphoma - a blood cancer that, after standard chemotherapy failed, left him with a devastating terminal diagnosis - less than a year to live.
His lifeline came in the form of CAR T-cell therapy, taking part in a trial then only available in Boston for a quoted US $1 million. Hundreds of thousands of dollars short, a Givealittle campaign and many generous donations made the treatment possible.