Multiple Sclerosis New Zealand (MSNZ) welcomes this timely and evidence-based report from NZIER, commissioned by Roche Products NZ. Representing 18 member organisations and over 5,000 New Zealanders living with MS, along with their whānau, carers and supporters, MSNZ has long advocated for equitable access to life-changing treatments.
Over the past decade, therapies like ocrelizumab have transformed lives, enabling people with MS to stay in work, raise families, and contribute meaningfully to their communities and the economy. Yet despite the availability of high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), access remains uneven. Too often, treatment decisions are shaped not by clinical need, but by logistical and financial barriers.
Subcutaneous DMTs offer a breakthrough. They reduce the burden of travel, fatigue, and time away from work or caregiving responsibilities. They empower patients to make better treatment choices and improve quality of life. Crucially, they help dismantle geographic, social and ethnic inequities in healthcare access across Aotearoa.
This report builds on the foundational work of Dr Richard Milne, highlighting the cost-effectiveness of ocrelizumab for primary progressive MS. It reinforces a critical truth: chronic conditions like MS carry significant costs, not just to individuals and their whānau, but to the wider health system and government. Smarter funding decisions that account for these broader impacts will unlock long-term savings and better outcomes.
Timely diagnosis and access to treatment are key to preserving brain health and slowing disease progression. MS is complex, but increasingly manageable and treatable. Subcutaneous therapies can relieve pressure on infusion centres, freeing up capacity for other life-saving treatments and enabling a shift toward community-based care models.
This report calls for coordinated action across government – Pharmac, health and disability -to fund subcutaneous MS treatments. The benefits are clear: reduced costs, improved productivity, and more efficient use of scarce resources. The evidence is compelling, and the opportunity is urgent.
We urge decision makers to act. This report is not just a case for MS. It’s a blueprint for smarter, more equitable medicine funding across New Zealand.
Download NZIER Health Impact Report
See Announcement on NZIER Website
Last Updated September 24, 2025