Cancer drug listed on PBS after trials at Barwon Health
Local cancer patients could now access an extra, subsidised treatment option, trialled at Barwon Health, through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. The move has been described as “very exciting” for cancer patients. Here’s what you need to know.
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Local cancer patients can now access an extra, subsidised treatment option, trialled by Barwon Health, through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
Drug giant AstraZeneca has announced that from September 1, Calquence will be listed on the PBS for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL).
CLL is the most common form of chronic leukaemia.
Every year in Australia about 1800 people are diagnosed with CLL, which is rarely curable.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said up to 1600 patients a year could benefit from the listing.
He said Calquence might otherwise cost more than $140,000 per course of treatment; with the PBS subsidy, patients will pay just $41 per script, or $6.60 with a concession card.
CLL and SLL are types of blood cancer that affect lymphocytes — a type of white blood cell — and the lymph nodes. They are essentially the same disease.
When the cancer cells are predominantly in the bloodstream and bone marrow, it is diagnosed as CLL. If the cancer cells aremostly in the lymph nodes, the disease is called SLL.
Calquence works by inhibiting Bruton tyrosine kinase — a protein in the body that helps blood cancer cells to grow and survive.
Barwon Heads retiree David Selway-Hoskins, 76, was diagnosed with CLL around 2005.
Mr Selway-Hoskins went for a routine colonoscopy and his spleen was found to be enlarged.
A blood test confirmed he had leukaemia and his condition has been monitored since.
“It would have killed me eventually if I hadn’t had treatment,” he said. “There’s very good treatments … that keep it under control.
“My major symptom of the ongoing condition is tiredness, but at 76 you tend to get tired.
“It’s hard to know what’s due to the condition and what’s due to human life.”
He had chemotherapy in 2010, and three years ago was entered into a clinical trial that included Calquence, which he is expected to continue taking after its listing on the PBS.
Mr Selway-Hoskins said the drug’s listing on the PBS was “absolutely” a good thing.
Barwon Health director of cancer services and haematologist Philip Campbell, has been involved in local clinical trials of Calquence.
He said the drug could be good for patients whose CLL returned following frontline treatment, including chemo and immunotherapy based treatment.
“This essentially provides people with relapsed disease another treatment option in oral form,” Associate Professor Campbell said.
“It adds to the growing list of available oral treatment options.
“It’s very exciting for patients.”
Prof Campbell said the listing was testament to the importance of clinical trials.
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Originally published as Cancer drug listed on PBS after trials at Barwon Health