Thousands of Australians living with advanced and metastatic cancers can now access cheaper immunotherapy treatments.
As of March 1, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) listing for nivolumab (sold as Opdivo) and ipilimumab (sold as Yervoy) has been expanded to cover a wider variety of cancers.
It is expected the change will save more than 5000 patients thousands in medical costs. Without the subsidy – which caps the medication for each prescription at $25 – some patients could pay more than $100,000 per course of treatment.
The PBS listing will cover multiple cancers to make it faster for patients to access immunotherapy drugs without the need to make a submission for each cancer type. It is thought to be a world-first approach to treatment.
The expansion also removes the “once in a lifetime” rule for patients needing treatment for more than one type of cancer.
Patients who will benefit include those with cancers that cannot be surgically removed, with advanced or metastatic cancers, patients who need to be treated again after a relapse, or those who need the treatment for a longer period.
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Rare Cancers Australia (RCA) chief executive Christine Cockburn said the decision marked a historic turning point.
“This is a defining moment for the Australians diagnosed with a rare and less common cancers – a step towards a system where access to treatment is no longer determined by a person’s tumour type, geographic location or bank balance,” she said.
The decision follows years of advocacy, multiple pan-tumour submissions from pharmaceutical sponsors and two positive recommendations from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC), RCA said in a statement.
“We are encouraged to see long-standing barriers finally begin to shift. This decision proves that meaningful reform is possible when government takes a pragmatic and patient-centred approach and patients, clinicians, industry and policymakers work together to tackle access barriers,” Ms Cockburn said.
“Our focus remains on ensuring fast and fair access to treatments for every person with a rare cancer, by maintaining this momentum. What we hope for now is a clear path for other medicines to be listed in this way.
“If we are serious about equity and improved cancer outcomes, we need a system that embraces innovation, clinical judgement and timely decision-making. Australians with cancer cannot afford delays when life-changing treatments are within reach,” she said.
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