New indication for Xalkori added to Australia's PBS list

The Australian government will make a medicine for a rare type of lung cancer caused by a gene defect affordable, saving patients $140,000 a year, Minister of Health Greg Hunt announced today.

From 1 January the medicine Xalkori (crizotinib), from US pharma giant Pfizer (NYSE: PFE), will be made available through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for lung cancer patients with a c-ROS proto-oncogene 1 (ROS1) gene rearrangement.

Xalkori was added to the PBS listing in June 2015 to treat anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive non-small cell lung cancer.

The drug may stop or slow the growth of Stage IIIB (locally advanced) or Stage IV (metastatic) non-small cell lung cancer.

Without the PBS subsidy the drug would cost over A$140,000 ($100,100) per patient, per year. Patients with this rare form of lung cancer will now pay a maximum of A$40.30 per script or just A$6.50 per script for concessional patients, including pensioners.

This PBS listing was recommended by the independent medical experts at the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC).

The recent 2018–19 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) invests a further A$1.4 billion in new medicines, saving sick Australians hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year.

“Our strong economic management means we are providing Australian patients with access to life-saving and life-changing medicines quicker than ever before. We are now making on average one new or amended PBS listing every single day,” said Mr Hunt.