AROUND 800 Australians are set to benefit from the 01 Jan Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) funding for drugs to treat myeloma (cancer of plasma cells) and lung cancer, Health Minister Greg Hunt announced in a media release.
The funding is part of a $7.5b program to add new drugs that "over the course of the last four years, is one of the most important things we could possibly have done," Hunt said.
The two additions for Jan are Amgen's Kyprolis (carfilzomib) for multiple myeloma benefiting around 550 Australians and Roche Products' Alecensa (alectinib) for small cell lung cancer, helping some 250 patients.
"Virtually no Australian family, as I say, could afford a drug of $138,000 or $188,000," Hunt added.
"For that suddenly to be available at $6.40 a script for concession patients, which is most, that's an incredible change in their lives."
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