NZ Proposes Funding Letermovir to Prevent Infection After Transplants

Health experts say CMV infection after transplant can lead to severe illness, prolonged hospitalisation, organ damage, and increased mortality risk.

New Zealand’s health authorities are proposing public funding for a breakthrough antiviral medicine aimed at protecting some of the country’s most vulnerable patients following life-saving stem cell transplants.

Associate Health Minister David Seymour and Health Minister Simeon Brown have welcomed Pharmac’s proposal to fund letermovir, a targeted antiviral medicine used to prevent cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection — a potentially life-threatening complication for people with severely weakened immune systems.

If approved following consultation, letermovir would be funded nationwide from 1 May 2026, expanding access to a preventive treatment that international studies have shown can significantly reduce infection risk and improve recovery outcomes after stem cell transplantation.

A Major Step in Post-Transplant Infection Prevention

CMV is a common virus that rarely causes illness in healthy people but can trigger serious complications in patients with suppressed immune systems, including those undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplants for blood cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma.

Health experts say CMV infection after transplant can lead to severe illness, prolonged hospitalisation, organ damage, and increased mortality risk.

“Improving access to medicines in New Zealand is important to patients and their families. That’s why it has been a focus of this Government,” Seymour said.

Under Pharmac’s proposal, letermovir would be funded for:

• People who have received a stem cell transplant

• A small number of other severely immunosuppressed patients who cannot safely use currently funded antiviral medicines

Clinical advisers told Pharmac that early use of letermovir following transplantation can significantly reduce CMV infections, which are among the most common complications during recovery.

Supporting Patients Through a Difficult Recovery

While stem cell transplants can be life-saving, recovery often involves months of vulnerability as the immune system rebuilds.

In New Zealand, stem cell transplants are currently performed at specialist centres in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, meaning many patients must relocate temporarily for treatment and recovery.

Seymour said preventing CMV infection could help reduce complications and shorten hospital stays.

“For many people, stem cell transplants are life-saving, but recovery can be tough,” he said.

“Preventing a serious infection following a stem cell treatment could reduce hospital stays, ease pressure on the health system, and help patients return home to their families sooner.”

Health officials say the medicine could also reduce the need for aggressive antiviral treatments that often carry serious side effects.

Expanding Stem Cell Transplant Capacity

The proposed medicine funding comes alongside broader government investment aimed at expanding New Zealand’s transplant capacity.

Health Minister Simeon Brown said improving outcomes for cancer patients remains a key priority.

“This announcement builds on last year’s funding boost to expand stem cell transplant services for patients with blood cancers and related conditions,” Brown said.

The government has committed $27.1 million to strengthen transplant services, including:

• Expanding the specialist workforce

• Increasing hospital treatment capacity

• Upgrading infrastructure for transplant care

The investment is expected to allow 27–38 percent more patients to receive allogeneic stem cell transplants when they need them.

“Too many Kiwis have experienced distressing delays for these procedures,” Brown said.

“Boosting transplant capacity and reducing wait times gives more people the best possible chance of recovery.”

Aligning Medicines Access with Growing Demand

As transplant services expand, Pharmac expects more patients will require CMV prevention treatment.

Officials say funding letermovir would ensure access to modern infection prevention as transplant numbers increase.

“This proposal is about supporting the whole needs of the patient,” Seymour said.

“Preventing complications means fewer setbacks, less disruption, and more time where people want to be — at home with their families.”

The proposal also aligns with the government’s broader Faster Cancer Treatment targets, aimed at improving access to care and reducing treatment delays across the health system.

Public Consultation Opens

Pharmac has opened a public consultation on the proposal, inviting feedback from patients, families, clinicians, advocacy groups, and others affected by stem cell transplantation or severe immunosuppression.

The consultation period runs:

• Opens: 11:00am, Thursday 5 March

• Closes: 5:00pm, Thursday 19 March

Feedback will inform Pharmac’s final decision on whether the medicine will be publicly funded.