Auckland father-of-three David Downs was the first international patient to get the lifesaving treatment in the US earlier this year.

Now, he's working with the Malaghan Institute to launch New Zealand's own clinical trial as earlier as July next year.

David Downs told Mike Hosking he walks cancer-free, thanks to the groundbreaking therapy available only in the US and more recently Europe.

"Certainly the doctors I have been working with are excited about CAR-T cell therapy which was used on me."

LISTEN ABOVE AS DAVID DOWNS SPEAKS TO MIKE HOSKING