JUST one medicine has been added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme this month, with funding approved for eribulin (Halaven) for the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said the addition would give over 100 Australians a year access to "affordable life-improving treatment," with the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee recommending the listing of the drug in recognition that there is a "high unmet clinical need for treatment options in liposarcoma patients and that for some patients this medicine is more effective than other comparable treatments".
Without the PBS listing patients would pay almost $16,000 annually without subsidised access.
Hunt also announced a range of "biosimilar uptake drivers," initially relating to etanercept (see p3) which aims to increase more price competition and free up funds to provide access to new treatments.
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