Australia’s PBS lists new medicines and increases cost threshold to A$20 million

The Australian Federal Minister for Health, Peter Dutton, has announced that the cost of 50 new and amended drugs will be subsidized by the government through its Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). The list includes treatments for cancer, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and a range of other debilitating diseases.

Mr Dutton said: “About 230,000 people will now be able to receive new and improved medicines they may otherwise not have been able to afford. The new listings include a ground-breaking treatment for melanoma. Dabrafenib [from UK pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline (LSE: GSK)], sold as Rafinlar, is the first melanoma medicine that targets a genetic mutation that is present in about half of all melanoma cases. A new Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) item will also be listed for the genetic testing that is necessary to determine eligibility for dabrafenib. This means the costs for both the medicine and the genetic test will be subsidized, and will benefit more than 800 Australians.”

He added that US pharma giant Pfizer’s (NYSE: PFE) pancreatic cancer drug Sutent (sunitinib) will provide an important treatment option for approximately 50 patients with this life-threatening condition. Sunitinib increases the survival rates of patients who cannot undergo surgery. In addition Prolia (denosumab), a drug from Amgen (Nasdaq: AMGN), which is currently available through the PBS for the treatment of osteoporosis in women, will also be extended to allow the medicine to be used to treat osteoporosis in men, which will benefit around 5,700 patients.