I considered the option of going to Australia. Olaparib would have been funded. I couldn't get past the irony of staying alive for my grandkids, but living in a different country."
The cost of living
New Zealanders with breast cancer should not have fewer treatment options simply because they live on this side of the Tasman. Yet medicines routinely subsidised for Australians remain unfunded here, leaving some patients to self-fund, seek support from whānau and public fundraising, or go without. These are not abstract delays: for people living with aggressive or advanced breast cancer, access to the right medicine at the right time can mean a lower risk of recurrence, more time before their cancer progresses, and more time with the people they love. New Zealand is falling behind comparable countries, and the human cost of that gap is carried by patients and their whānau.
| Medicine | Funded in New Zealand? | Funded in Australia? | Australian funding date | Breast cancer type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abemaciclib (Verzenio) | No | Yes | 1 May 2024 | Early hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer |
| Ribociclib (Kisqali) | No | Yes | 1 July 2025 | Early hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer |
| Abemaciclib (Verzenio) | No | Yes | Advanced hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer | |
| Capivasertib (Truqap) | No | Yes | 1 Oct 2025 | Advanced hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer with specific tumour changes |
| Everolimus (Afinitor) | No | Yes | Advanced hormone receptor-positive breast cancer | |
| Trastuzumab injection (Herceptin SC) | No | Yes | Early HER2-positive breast cancer | |
| Pertuzumab (Perjeta) | No | Yes | 1 July 2026 | Early HER2-positive breast cancer |
| Trastuzumab injection (Herceptin SC) | No | Yes | Advanced HER2-positive breast cancer | |
| Trastuzumab retreatment (including Herzuma) | No | Yes | Advanced HER2-positive breast cancer | |
| Lapatinib (Tykerb) | No | Yes | Advanced HER2-positive breast cancer | |
| Trastuzumab deruxtecan (Enhertu) | No | Yes | 1 Sep 2024 | Advanced HER2-low breast cancer |
| Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) | No | Yes | 1 Sep 2023 | Early triple negative breast cancer |
| Sacituzumab govitecan (Trodelvy) | No | Yes | Advanced triple negative breast cancer | |
| Olaparib (Lynparza) | No | Yes | 1 July 2024 | Early HER2-negative breast cancer with an inherited BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation |
| Olaparib (Lynparza) | No | Yes | 1 January 2025 | Advanced HER2-negative breast cancer with an inherited BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation |
| Nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane) | No | Yes | Advanced breast cancer | |
| Eribulin (Halaven) | No | Yes | Advanced breast cancer | |
| Denosumab (Xgeva) | No | Yes | Breast cancer that has spread to the bones | |
| Bevacizumab (Avastin) | No | Yes | Advanced breast cancer |