THE HON PETER DUTTON MP

MINISTER FOR HEALTH MINISTER FOR SPORT

MEDIA RELEASE
24 April 2014 NEW MEDICINES FOR CANCER AND HIV GAIN PBS LISTING A new treatment for advanced breast cancer and a new treatment option for Australians living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) are being listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Everolimus (Afinitor) has been approved for listing on the PBS from 1 June for the treatment of advanced breast cancer in patients who meet certain clinical criteria. The listing of everolimus will provide an affordable option for up to 1,400 patients with advanced breast cancer who have not responded to other treatments, the Minister for Health, Peter Dutton said. A years treatment with everolimus would cost these patients as much as $38,000 without the PBS subsidy. More than 1,500 patients living with HIV will also benefit from a fixed dose combination of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate + emtricitabine + elvitegravir + cobicistat (sold as Stribild ) being made available from 1 May. A patient on this particular combination would normally pay more than $24,000 per year, without subsidised access to this medication, Minister Dutton said. Going beyond the financial benefits, the combination medicine also provides patients with a single daily treatment option. This potentially reduces their pill burden and makes it easier to comply with their complex medication routines. Other new medicines approved for listing on the PBS in May and June include: plerixafor (sold as Mozobil) for the treatment of cancer of the blood or lymph nodes (multiple myeloma or lymphoma) that require a stem cell transplant. Approximately 170 patients with this rare cancer would pay around $16,650 annually for plerixafor without subsidised access through the PBS. tapentadol hydrochloride (sold as Palexia SR), a slow release pain medicine, provides an additional treatment option for patients with chronic, severe, disabling pain that is not responding to other pain treatments. ferric carboxymaltose (sold as Ferinject) for the treatment of iron deficiency anaemia where oral iron preparations are not tolerated, ineffective or cannot be used. This medicine can be administered more quickly than alternative intravenous infusions, meaning patients may be able to be treated in a non-hospital setting.
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2 The Australian Government is committed to ensuring important medicines such as these are made available to Australian patients at affordable prices as soon as practical. All PBS listings are subject to final arrangements being met by the suppliers of the medicine. Details of the listings will be published in the Schedule of Pharmaceutical Benefits, which is updated monthly and accessible through the PBS website at www.pbs.gov.au. For more information, contact the Minister's Office on 02 6277 7220