From today, thousands more Australians living with advanced and rare cancers will have access to affordable immunotherapy treatment options through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
The PBS listing for immunotherapy drugs nivolumab (Opdivo®) and ipilimumab (Yervoy®) has been expanded to make it available for no more than $25 to thousands more cancer patients.
In a world first, this single PBS listing will cover multiple cancers, making it easier and faster for patients to access immunotherapy without requiring individual submissions for each cancer type.
The expanded listing also removes the "once in a lifetime" rule for patients needing treatment for more than one type of cancer and give patients with rare cancers access to the medicine requiring individual submissions for each cancer type.
Over 5,000 Australians each year are expected to benefit from the amended listings. Without the PBS subsidy, some patients and their families could pay more than $100,000 per course of treatment.
Patients who will benefit include those with cancers that cannot be surgically removed, with advanced or metastatic cancers, patients who need to be treated again after a relapse, or those who need the treatment for a longer period.
These cancers are often life-threatening and require treatment that works throughout the body, such as immunotherapy. Advanced and metastatic cancers account for the majority of cancer deaths.
Opdivo and Yervoy work by enhancing the patient's immune response against cancer. They block proteins that normally suppress immune activity, allowing immune cells to recognise and fight cancer cells more effectively.
PBS listing means eligible patients will pay a maximum of $25 per script, or just $7.70 with a concession card.
Since July 2022, the Albanese Government has approved extra funding for 403 new and amended listings on the PBS.
This listing is the culmination of years of collaboration between the Australian Government, the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee and the sponsoring pharmaceutical company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Australia.
Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:
"This world first single PBS listing to cover multiple cancers will mean Australian patients can the treatment they need faster and at an affordable price.
"Thousands of patients each year will now have access to treatments that were previously out of reach for most families.
"By expanding access through the PBS, we're giving people more time, more options, and a better chance at maintaining quality of life."
