HEALTH minister Sussan Ley yesterday confirmed the government would invest close to $130 million to give people with severe uncontrolled asthma access to "breakthrough medicines" via the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
Effective 01 Feb 2017 Spiriva Respimat will be PBS-listed, at a cost of $103 million over four years, while GSK's Nucala (PD 13 Dec) will also be listed on the PBS from 01 Jan for patients with severe eosinophilic asthma.
The National Asthma Council Australia welcomed the listings, saying they were good news for patients who struggle with the condition despite being on maximum therapy doses.
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