Lung cancer and leukemia treatments to be added to PBS
“Game changing” drugs for types of lung cancer and leukaemia will be added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, offering new hope for some cancer patients.
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Some lung cancer and leukaemia patients will have access to “game-changing” drugs under additions to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme announced today.
The treatment options for non-small-cell lung cancer and early stage acute lymphoblastic leukaemia will be available from December 1.
More than 2200 patients with that form of lung cancer will be able to access pembrolizumab — an immunotherapy medicine that supercharges the body’s own immune system to fight cancer cells.
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre oncologist Professor Ben Solomon said the treatment had already dramatically improved outcomes for his lung cancer patients.
“People live longer, survival is doubled. It costs in excess of $6000 a dose, up to $60,000 a year for the treatment,” he said. “That was out of the reach for most patents — now we can offer it to everyone.”
Lung cancer is Australia’s leading cancer killer and the fifth most commonly diagnosed form of cancer.
Leukaemia medicine blinatumomab will also be extended from December 1, giving patients with early-stage acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and minimal residual disease another option.
For Elsternwick rabbi Gersh Lazarow, 41, that treatment was a “game changer” but it cost him thousands when he had it because it was not yet on the PBS.
“My health has been our family’s biggest investment other than our home,” he said.
“It (blinatumomab) made a really big difference. When it works, it really is incredible in being able to allow us to continue life as normal and not have to be in hospital daily.”
The father of two has been in remission for 18 months.
His doctor, Shaun Fleming, said the medicine significantly improved the conditions of older Australians diagnosed with the blood cancer, which could be “rapidly fatal”.
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“It’s something that strikes out of the blue,” the Alfred Hospital haematologist said. “It comes on very quickly and people become very ill very quickly. It is important that healthcare is available to all.”
Each year almost 4000 Australians are diagnosed with a form of leukaemia.
Health Minister Greg Hunt will announce the additions to the PBS in a speech in Sydney today.
“The Morrison Government’s commitment to ensuring that Australians can access affordable medicines, when they need them, remains rock-solid,” he said.