Pharmac proposes wider access to a treatment for people with a rare blood cancer

Source: PHARMAC

People in New Zealand living with a rare type of blood cancer, systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL), could benefit from wider access to brentuximab vedotin under a proposal from Pharmac.

Pharmac is consulting on a change that would allow brentuximab vedotin to be used as a first-line treatment option for people newly diagnosed with sALCL. If approved, the treatment would be funded from 1 April 2026.

“This would mean people could receive brentuximab vedotin as a first treatment option, instead of waiting until other options have been tried,” says Pharmac’s Manager of Pharmaceutical Funding, Claire Pouwels. “Around 12 people are expected to benefit in the first year, with around 60 people benefitting over the next 5 years.”

Brentuximab vedotin is currently funded only for people whose lymphoma has returned or has not responded to earlier treatment. Using brentuximab vedotin earlier is expected to support better outcomes for people with sALCL, who often face poor survival rates and significant health needs.

“Systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma is a rare cancer that is often diagnosed in people under 55,” says Pouwels. “Making this treatment available earlier has the potential to improve both survival and quality of life.”

Pharmac is seeking feedback from people with sALCL, their whānau, health professionals, advocacy groups, and anyone else who would like to comment. Consultation is open until 5 pm, 19 February 2026. Feedback can be submitted via the online form linked in the consultation.

What is Pharmac proposing?

Pharmac is proposing to widen access to brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) so that it can be publicly funded as a first‑line treatment for people with previously untreated systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL).

Currently, brentuximab vedotin is only funded after first‑line treatment has not worked. The proposal would allow eligible patients to receive it upfront, in combination with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisone (replacing vincristine).

The change would take effect 1 April 2026 (if approved).

What does this medicine do?

Brentuximab vedotin is a targeted cancer medicine used to treat systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL). It works by recognising and attaching to a protein called CD30, which is present on the surface of sALCL cancer cells.

Once the medicine binds to these CD30‑positive cells, it is absorbed into them and releases a chemotherapy agent that kills the cancer cell from the inside. This approach allows the treatment to specifically attack cancerous cells while limiting exposure to healthy cells.

When used as a first‑line treatment, brentuximab vedotin is given alongside cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisone, taking the place of vincristine in the traditional CHOP chemotherapy regimen. This means it becomes part of a combination therapy designed to treat the disease at an early stage, with the aim of improving patient outcomes by introducing a more targeted option upfront.