New medicines on the PBS
February 22, 2012
THE Government has agreed to
fund nine new medicines on the
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
including Astra Zeneca’s Brilinta
(ticagrelor) for acute coronary
syndrome; GlaxoSmithKline’s
antibiotic Zinnat (cefuroxime axetil);
and Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Sprycel
(dasatinib) for chronic myeloid
leukaemia.
Other drugs to be listed include:
Novartis’ Tasigna (nilotinib) for
chronic myeloid leukaemia; Pfizer’s
anti-coagulant Fragmin (dalteparin
sodium); GSK’s Flolan (epoprostenol
sodium) for pulmonary arterial
hypertension, as well as its pain
management treatment Kapanol
(morphine sulphate).
Roche Products’ juvenile arthritis
drug Actemra (tocilizumab) has also
been PBS listed, as well as
Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Orencia
(abatacept) for rheumatoid
arthritis.
The Government has not yet
announced a date when the drugs
will be available on the PBS, but it
has however allayed fears that the
process will take years, saying the
drugs will be PBS available “in the
coming months”.
“The PBS listings are subject to
final arrangements being met by
the suppliers of the medicines
before they can be listed,” said
Health Minister Tanya Plibersek.
Speaking in the wake of the
announcement Medicines Australia
said it was “encouraged by the
Government’s commitment to
making these medicines available”.
“If this is a return to business as
usual by the Government it is very
welcome,” said Medicines Australia
Chief Executive Brendan Shaw.
“However, the Government does
not yet have a clean slate with
listing new medicines on the PBS.
“Having gone through the TGA
process, the PBAC process, the
PBPA process and the Cabinet
process, the anti-stroke medicine
Pradaxa is now being made to go
through another unanticipated
hurdle: the anti-coagulant review
process.
“I urge the Government to
conduct this review as quickly as
possible given Pradaxa was first
considered by Cabinet in
September 2010,” he added.
AstraZeneca has also welcomed
the announcement, saying that the
listing of Brilinta will benefit around
60,000 Australians, and that the
drug provides an important new
treatment option for clinicians in
reducing the risk of cardiovascular
deaths and recurrent
events in patients with ACS (heart
attacks and unstable angina).
MEANWHILE the Government
has also agreed to increase the
price of 17 medicines currently
listed on the PBS, in line with the
Pharmaceutical Benefits Pricing
Authority’s recommendations
made in December last year.
The price increases come into
effect on 01 April and will not
affect concessional patients which
constitute around 80% of PBS
prescriptions.
For a full list of affected drugs
see www.pbs.gov.au.
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