Blood cancer drug funding concerns

The story so far

Patients and families have called on the National government to honour election campaign pledges to close the blood cancer medicine gap, saying promised life-saving drugs have not been provided.^{15 Sep 2025} Some have had to fundraise or seek treatment overseas, and a haematologist warned that doctors and patients are moving to Australia, with New Zealand at least a decade behind in blood cancer treatments.^{15, 17 Sep 2025} Increasing waits for stem cell transplants have led some patients to receive extra chemotherapy, which Professor Peter Browett says raises infection risk and can affect survival.^{18, 23 Sep 2025} Some patients have used their KiwiSaver funds to pay for unfunded treatment, with one facing $220,000 in costs.^{19 Sep 2025}

Latest

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said blood cancer patients have not been forgotten but did not guarantee the medication funding pledge would be met, which some patients called a broken promise.^{26 Sep 2025}

Key moments

1. 15 Sep 2025Patients urge government to fulfil campaign medicine funding pledges.
2. 17 Sep 2025Haematologist says doctors and patients are moving to Australia.
3. 18 Sep 2025Former police official travels to China for CAR T-cell therapy.
4. 19 Sep 2025Patient faces $220,000 costs, using KiwiSaver for unfunded blood cancer treatment.
5. 23 Sep 2025Transplant-waiting patients receive extra chemotherapy; some dying as treatment fails.
6. 26 Sep 2025Luxon says patients not forgotten but won't guarantee funding pledge.

Written from the stories below; each sentence links to its sources.