- A new swathe of commonly used multiple sclerosis, diabetes and asthma treatments will be included under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
- Asthma treatment Atecture Breezhale and multiple sclerosis medication Zeposia will make their debuts under the scheme, potentially saving patients paying more than $400 and $29,000 per year, respectively
- Type two diabetes treatment Trulicity will also have its tenure on the listing extended
- Inclusions under the scheme follow recommendations by the independent Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee and are updated on the first day of every month
A new swathe of commonly used multiple sclerosis, diabetes and asthma treatments will be included under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
The latest listings, which have been made available under the Australian government subsidy as of yesterday, are set to cover medications used by around 51,800 people across the country.
Asthma treatment Atecture Breezhaler and multiple sclerosis medication Zeposia will make their debut on the listing, while the Trulicity diabetes medicament will have its PBS tenure extended.
Both new additions, Atecture and Zeposia, will be available to patients at a heavily discounted price tag of $41.30 per script or $6.60 for those with a concession card.
Inclusions under the scheme follow recommendations by the independent Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) and are updated on the first day of every month.
According to the PBAC, it weighs up the medical and cost-effectiveness of a proposed benefit compared to alternative therapies and makes recommendations to the Minister regarding which should be subsidised under the PBS.
New and extended listings
The Atecture Breezhaler is typically used to aid those suffering with the effects of asthma, by relaxing and reducing swelling and irritation in the small airways of the lungs and could previously set back patients more than $400 per year.
The second new addition, Zeposia, is a treatment for relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis, a chronic disease that affects more than 25,600 people in Australia and currently has no cure.
Its new PBS price represents a significant discount on the $29,000 per year patients could spend on the medicament.
Lastly, the type two diabetes treatment Trulicity will have its time under the scheme extended, granting around 12,000 patients in Australia discounted access to the medication.
The Australian Government has approved more than 2550 new or amended listings on the PBS since 2013.