THE HON TANYA PLIBERSEK MP
Minister for Health
MEDIA RELEASE
30 June 2013
NEW GENERATION MEDICINES ADDED TO THE PBS
A new medicine that can significantly extend the life of people with deadly melanoma (skin cancer) has been approved for inclusion in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
Minister for Health Tanya Plibersek said the inclusion of ipilimumab, sold as Yervoy® on the PBS would save patients requiring the treatment more than $110,000 a year on average.
“Australia has the highest skin cancer incidence rate in the world, with one in 17 Australians at risk of contracting the disease,” Ms Plibersek said.
“While prevention is always the best option, the PBS listing of ipilimumab is a major step forward for people who have developed malignant melanoma.
“It is the first in a new class of medicines for melanoma and the first effective treatment in over a decade.”
In clinical trials, more than 60 per cent of patients with very advanced melanoma who were treated with ipilimumab were still alive after one year and notably, some 10 per cent of them were still alive after five years.
A new and effective drug for treating prostate cancer, abiraterone (Zytiga®) will also be listed on the PBS. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in Australian men, with about 20,000 new cases diagnosed each year.
“The PBS listing of abiraterone will benefit more than 1,000 Australians each year who would otherwise have to pay around $27,000 a year to access the drug. This medicine offers an important treatment option for patients who are not well enough to tolerate further chemotherapy,” Ms Plibersek said.
Subsidies for vinorelbine (Navelbine®) which treats advanced breast cancer will also be extended to allow the drug to be used when other therapies have failed.
Provided orally, vinorelbine offers an important treatment option for patients but currently costs around $17,314 for an average of six prescriptions a year.
The new subsidies for these three cancer medicines will cost the Australian Government more than $430 million over four years.
“Cancer is the number one cause of sickness and death in this country and fighting it has always been a top priority for this government,” Ms Plibersek said.
“With these new listings the Government has committed around $3.9 billion to improve the detection and treatment of cancer, including nearly $2 billion on subsidies for new cancer medicines since 2007. This brings the number of new or amended listings subsidised for cancer treatment since 2007 to 36, for 17 different types of cancer.”
More than a hundred thousand Australians will also benefit from the extension of PBS subsidies for a new generation oral anticoagulant medicine, on the PBS.
Rivaroxaban – marketed as Xarelto® – will soon be subsidised as a treatment for the prevention of stroke in patients with irregular heartbeat and treatment of blood clots in the lungs and legs.
Irregular heartbeat or non-valvular atrial fibrillation is common among older people and increases the risk of severe stroke.
The extension of the PBS subsidy will cost the Australian Government more than $450 million over four years and will benefit around 120,000 patients per year. Without PBS subsidy, rivaroxaban cost around $1200 per year for the average patient.
Ms Plibsersek said two drugs used to terminate pregnancy for medical reasons would also be available through the PBS from 1 August 2013.
Mifepristone (Linepharma®) and misoprostol (GyMiso200®) will be subsidised for medical terminations up to 49 days of gestation.
“While termination of pregnancy is always difficult, the listing of these drugs provides women and their doctors with greater choice at an affordable price,” Ms Plibersek said.
A total of 17 new and amended PBS listings will come into effect between 1 August and 1 October this year at a cost to the Government of almost $1 billion over four years. Almost 350,000 people a year will benefit.
Patients will only have to pay $5.90 or $36.10 per month to be treated with these medicines.
“These listings reflect the Government’s continuing commitment to consumers and industry to ensure that effective medicines are readily available to Australians as soon as possible after they are proven effective,” Ms Plibersek said.
“We are able to provide these medicines at a subsidised price because of our diligent work to ensure that the PBS also provides good value for taxpayers and is sustainable.”
A new medicine that can significantly extend the life of people with deadly melanoma (skin cancer) has been approved for inclusion in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
Minister for Health Tanya Plibersek said the inclusion of ipilimumab, sold as Yervoy® on the PBS would save patients requiring the treatment more than $110,000 a year on average.
“Australia has the highest skin cancer incidence rate in the world, with one in 17 Australians at risk of contracting the disease,” Ms Plibersek said.
“While prevention is always the best option, the PBS listing of ipilimumab is a major step forward for people who have developed malignant melanoma.
“It is the first in a new class of medicines for melanoma and the first effective treatment in over a decade.”
In clinical trials, more than 60 per cent of patients with very advanced melanoma who were treated with ipilimumab were still alive after one year and notably, some 10 per cent of them were still alive after five years.
A new and effective drug for treating prostate cancer, abiraterone (Zytiga®) will also be listed on the PBS. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in Australian men, with about 20,000 new cases diagnosed each year.
“The PBS listing of abiraterone will benefit more than 1,000 Australians each year who would otherwise have to pay around $27,000 a year to access the drug. This medicine offers an important treatment option for patients who are not well enough to tolerate further chemotherapy,” Ms Plibersek said.
Subsidies for vinorelbine (Navelbine®) which treats advanced breast cancer will also be extended to allow the drug to be used when other therapies have failed.
Provided orally, vinorelbine offers an important treatment option for patients but currently costs around $17,314 for an average of six prescriptions a year.
The new subsidies for these three cancer medicines will cost the Australian Government more than $430 million over four years.
“Cancer is the number one cause of sickness and death in this country and fighting it has always been a top priority for this government,” Ms Plibersek said.
“With these new listings the Government has committed around $3.9 billion to improve the detection and treatment of cancer, including nearly $2 billion on subsidies for new cancer medicines since 2007. This brings the number of new or amended listings subsidised for cancer treatment since 2007 to 36, for 17 different types of cancer.”
More than a hundred thousand Australians will also benefit from the extension of PBS subsidies for a new generation oral anticoagulant medicine, on the PBS.
Rivaroxaban – marketed as Xarelto® – will soon be subsidised as a treatment for the prevention of stroke in patients with irregular heartbeat and treatment of blood clots in the lungs and legs.
Irregular heartbeat or non-valvular atrial fibrillation is common among older people and increases the risk of severe stroke.
The extension of the PBS subsidy will cost the Australian Government more than $450 million over four years and will benefit around 120,000 patients per year. Without PBS subsidy, rivaroxaban cost around $1200 per year for the average patient.
Ms Plibsersek said two drugs used to terminate pregnancy for medical reasons would also be available through the PBS from 1 August 2013.
Mifepristone (Linepharma®) and misoprostol (GyMiso200®) will be subsidised for medical terminations up to 49 days of gestation.
“While termination of pregnancy is always difficult, the listing of these drugs provides women and their doctors with greater choice at an affordable price,” Ms Plibersek said.
A total of 17 new and amended PBS listings will come into effect between 1 August and 1 October this year at a cost to the Government of almost $1 billion over four years. Almost 350,000 people a year will benefit.
Patients will only have to pay $5.90 or $36.10 per month to be treated with these medicines.
“These listings reflect the Government’s continuing commitment to consumers and industry to ensure that effective medicines are readily available to Australians as soon as possible after they are proven effective,” Ms Plibersek said.
“We are able to provide these medicines at a subsidised price because of our diligent work to ensure that the PBS also provides good value for taxpayers and is sustainable.”
Details of changes to the PBS 1 August to 1 October 2013
New listings
· ipilimumab (Yervoy®) - for the treatment of certain types of malignant melanoma
· abiraterone (Zytiga®) - for the treatment of prostate cancer
· mifepristone (Linepharma®) and misoprostol (GyMiso200®) - for the termination of pregnancy for medical reasons in women who are up to 49 days of gestation
Amended and extended listings
· vinorelbine (Navelbine®) - for the treatment of advanced breast cancer, to extend the current listing to include treatment after failure of standard prior therapy
· botulinum toxin type A (Botox®) – for the treatment of urinary incontinence, to extend the current listing to include patients with specific neurological conditions, such as multiple sclerosis and adult spina bifida
· cephalexin (various brands) - for use as an antibiotic in the treatment of urinary tract infection, to amend the current listing to increase the maximum quantity and number of repeats available
· corifollitropin alfa (Elonva®) - for use as part of infertility treatment in women, to extend the current listing to remove the weight restriction
· diazepam (Orion Diazepam Elixir®) - for the treatment of chronic spasticity in children, to extend the current listing to include an oral solution
· imatinib (Glivec®) - for the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumour, to extend the current listing to change the maximum duration of treatment to three years
· lacosamide (Vimpat®) - for the treatment of epilepsy, to extend the current listing to remove a restriction for continuation of treatment and amend the listing to a Streamlined Authority
· lenalidomide (Revlimid®) - for the treatment of patients with a rare blood and bone marrow disorder (a certain type of myelodysplastic syndrome)
· risedronate (Actonel®) - for the treatment of osteoporosis, to extend the current listing to include patients that meet certain age and bone mineral density criteria
· rivaroxaban (Xarelto®) - for the prevention of stroke in patients with irregular heartbeat (non-valvular atrial fibrillation)
· rivaroxaban (Xarelto®) - for the treatment of blood clots in the lungs (pulmonary embolism) and prevention of recurrent blood clots in the legs and lungs (venous thromboembolism)
· sorafenib (Nexavar®) - for the treatment of a type of liver cancer, to amend the current listing to a Streamlined Authority
· trimethoprim (various brands) - for use as an antibiotic in the treatment of recurrent urinary tract infections, to amend the current listing to increase the maximum quantity and number of repeats available
All PBS listings and price changes are subject to final arrangements being met by the suppliers of the medicines.
For all media inquiries, please contact the Minister's Office on 02 6277 7220
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