HEALTH minister Greg Hunt yesterday confirmed the addition of "$310 million of new vital drugs" to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, with new items including Kalydeco (ivacaftor) for children aged 2-5 with cystic fibrosis.
Also now on the PBS is OFEV (nintedanib), a first time treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) from Boehringer Ingelheim.
Hunt also announced the addition of Blincyto (blinatumomab) for acute lymphocytic leukaemia, and Zinbryta (daclizumab) for multiple sclerosis, with the minister saying since coming into government the coalition had added about $6 billion of new drugs to the PBS "without fear or favour" based on PBAC recommendations.
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