Stuart Lye, 58, was living in New Zealand and on borrowed time ¡ª doctors had told him he had just three months to live in 2018, when he was diagnosed with high-risk myeloma.
While years of treatment, including chemotherapy, stem cell transplants and drugs, had extended his life, his health was worsening and he¡¯d run out of options at home.
He¡¯d heard about CAR-T, a form of immunotherapy. But it¡¯s not yet available commercially in New Zealand, and the clinical trials that are underway aren¡¯t for his specific cancer. In the closest country where it¡¯s accessible, Australia, the procedure could cost more than 500,000 Australian dollars ($350,000).
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