Shaping the future of health in New Zealand

Helping shape a health system ready for innovation

New Zealand’s health system is under growing pressure. Demand for care is increasing, the workforce is stretched, and public funding must meet a wide range of competing needs.

At the same time, advances in science and technology are creating new opportunities to prevent disease, diagnose conditions earlier, improve treatment, and deliver care in different ways.

Roche works with government, healthcare organisations, patient groups, researchers, industry, and other partners to help create an environment where New Zealand can benefit from these advances.

Our public policy work focuses on the settings that influence whether health innovation can be researched, developed, assessed, funded, and made available to people who need it.

Creating the right environment for health innovation

A strong life sciences sector can contribute to better health, scientific capability, economic growth, and New Zealand’s resilience.

For innovation to reach patients, New Zealand needs policy and regulatory settings that are clear, predictable, and able to keep pace with advances in science.

We support policies that encourage research and innovation, provide strong and predictable frameworks for intellectual property, and enable efficient, modern regulatory processes that keep pace with scientific advances.

New Zealand also has an opportunity to strengthen its role in global clinical research. A supportive clinical trials environment can give New Zealand patients earlier opportunities to participate in research, build local scientific and clinical capability, and help attract international research investment.

Clear and efficient regulatory pathways are an important part of this. They can support the timely approval of innovative medicines, enable high-quality clinical research, and help New Zealand remain connected to advances taking place internationally.

Investing in innovation where it creates value

New medicines and health technologies require investment. Decisions about that investment should consider the value they can create for patients, the health system, and wider society.

This can include improvements in health and quality of life, reduced pressure on hospitals and healthcare workers, earlier return to work, reduced impact on whānau and caregivers, and better use of health-system resources.

Roche supports funding and assessment systems that recognise these wider benefits and allow New Zealanders to access clinically valuable innovation in a timely and sustainable way.

We also support approaches that help New Zealand make the best use of existing health spending and identify where additional investment can improve outcomes over the longer term.

Delivering care in ways that work better for people

Where care happens can have a significant effect on patients and the health system.

Some treatments and services that have traditionally been delivered in hospitals may be able to take place closer to home, in community settings, or through more flexible models of care.

These approaches can make care more convenient for patients while helping reduce pressure on hospital facilities and clinical staff.

Roche supports health policies and funding models that enable safe, high-quality care to be delivered in the most appropriate setting. This includes removing barriers to new models of care, supporting the workforce and infrastructure needed to deliver them, and ensuring health services can adopt proven innovations.

Earlier diagnosis and treatment can also help improve outcomes and reduce avoidable pressure later in a person’s care.

Health is an investment in New Zealand

Good health has value well beyond the health system.

When people can remain well, manage illness effectively, and receive treatment earlier, there can be benefits for workforce participation, productivity, families, communities, and public services.

For this reason, conversations about health policy should include a wider range of perspectives than health alone.

We support greater consideration of the economic and social value of health when governments make decisions about investment, innovation, and long-term public policy. This also includes creating an environment where health research and clinical trials can thrive. Clinical research can contribute to New Zealand’s scientific capability, provide opportunities for patients and healthcare professionals to participate in global research, and attract investment into the health and life sciences sector.

Working with others

Sustainable health policy requires input from people and organisations across society.

Roche works with patient organisations, healthcare professionals, policymakers, researchers, business groups, industry organisations, and other partners where there is a shared interest in improving health outcomes or strengthening the health system.

Partnerships can bring different perspectives and expertise to complex health challenges. They can also help build stronger evidence about what works in New Zealand and identify practical ways to put good policy into action.

We aim to engage early, contribute evidence and international experience, and work constructively with others to identify solutions.

Our memberships

Roche participates in organisations that contribute to public policy, health, and business discussions in New Zealand.

● Medicines New Zealand

● Business New Zealand’s Major Companies Group

● New Zealand Business and Parliament Trust

● Digital Health Association

● New Zealand Association of Clinical Research

Our approach to public policy

We believe public policy discussions should be informed by evidence and focused on practical solutions.

Our engagement includes providing research and analysis, contributing international experience, participating in policy consultations, working through industry organisations, and partnering with other groups on areas of shared interest.

We seek to understand the pressures facing policymakers and the health system, and to contribute ideas that can improve outcomes for patients while supporting the long-term sustainability of healthcare.

We are transparent about the policy positions we advocate for and publish relevant submissions and consultation responses.

Our policy positions

Our public policy work covers areas that affect New Zealand’s ability to benefit from advances in health and medical science.

Key areas include:

Access to innovative medicines

We support assessment and funding systems that recognise the full value of innovative medicines and enable timely, sustainable access for New Zealand patients.

Regulation and clinical research

We support modern, efficient regulatory settings that protect patient safety while keeping pace with scientific advances and enabling timely access to innovation.

We also support a strong clinical research environment that makes New Zealand an attractive place to conduct high-quality clinical trials, gives patients opportunities to participate in research, and strengthens local scientific and clinical capability.

Health-system capacity and models of care

We support policies that make better use of healthcare resources and enable appropriate care to be delivered closer to patients.

Health investment and economic value

We support greater recognition of the contribution that better health and a strong life sciences sector can make to New Zealand’s economy, workforce, and long-term resilience.

Our submissions

Roche participates in public consultations where we can contribute relevant evidence, experience, or policy perspectives.

Our recent submissions and policy responses are available below:

● Submission to the New Zealand Parliament on the Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Amendment Bill (12 September 2025)

● Submission to the New Zealand Parliament on the Medicines Amendment Bill (23 May 2025)

● Submission to Health Select Committee on the Gene Technology Bill (17 February 2025)

● Submission to the New Zealand Parliament on the Therapeutic Products Bill (31 July 2024)

● Supplementary submission to the New Zealand Parliament on the Therapeutic Products Bill (23 March 2023; jointly submitted with Roche Diagnostics New Zealand)

● Submission to the New Zealand Parliament on the Therapeutic Products Bill (3 March 2023; jointly submitted with Roche Diagnostics New Zealand)

Media releases

You can find our media releases here.

Status of our medicines in New Zealand

You can find the current Pharmac funding status of our medicines on this page .

See information on our Transfer of Value reporting here.