New intervention only a band-aid solution for the diabetes community

Pharma News: The diabetes community have voiced significant concerns over a medicine withdrawal from the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS), leading to a band-aid solution announced on Friday.

For the next six months, the government has secured access to Novo Nordisk’s Fiasp and Fiasp FlexTouch on the PBS, a fast acting insulin product currently used by approximately 15,000 people with type 1 diabetes

The decision comes after Novo Nordisk confirmed its intention to remove Fiasp from the PBS “for commercial reasons” from April 1, 2023. The change means that the yearly out of pocket cost for patients would increase by more than $2000 from this date.

Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care, said “The decision by Novo Nordisk to withdraw Fiasp from the PBS has been deeply disappointing and distressing for Australians living with type 1 diabetes and their families.

“We know how hard it is right now to get in to see a doctor, very little time to make alternative arrangements, and I know how deeply distressing that’s been for those families. We have been working behind the scenes because this was a shock to us that the company would take this action, particularly so quickly. We’ve been working behind the scenes with the company but they won’t change their decision. I have no legal power to force them to keep the product on the market.”

Under the Supply Only arrangements to be implemented by the government from 1 April, patients who already have a prescription will be able to refill their current scripts and repeat scripts at a pharmacy over the next six months.

Some concerns have already been raised that consumers cannot find supply of the drug at their local pharmacy.

Minister Butler said “We’ve communicated the Supply Order late [on Thursday] to the company. They accept the legal force of that, so they’re bound by that now. It’s a legal order made by the Commonwealth Government. We’ll do everything we can to make sure that the product is out in pharmacies that families are accustomed to going to.”

Diabetes Australia Group CEO, Justine Cain, thanked Minister Butler for his quick intervention to allow continued access to insulin.

“Living with diabetes can be very difficult and people should be able to access the best available insulins and medicines, at an affordable price, to have their best quality of life and reduce the impact of diabetes-related complications,” Ms Cain said.

“Diabetes Australia actively made our concerns known to the Government about the significant impact of Novo Nordisk’s decision to delist Fiasp from the PBS. We are very grateful that Minister Butler listened and acted to help the thousands of people living with diabetes who were going to be impacted.”

Ms Cain said she hoped the government and Novo Nordisk could come to an agreement that would see Fiasp remain on the PBS for the foreseeable future.

“We hope that over the next six months the Department of Health and Novo Nordisk continue discussions and reach an agreement that benefits people living with diabetes,” she said.

Minister Butler stated “Labor has a proud record of supporting Australians living with diabetes, including establishing the Insulin Pump Program in 2008 and last year giving all 130,000 Australians with Type 1 diabetes access to subsidised CGM products under the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS). The Government will continue to act in the best interests of Australians living with Type 1 diabetes.”

In contrast to older types of insulin, which will remain available on the PBS, ultra-rapid insulin regulates blood sugar more quickly. The alternative to Fiasp is Eli Lilly’s Lyumjev which is not yet available in Australia.

Adocia, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, is progressing its phase 3 study of BioChaperone Lispro which also belongs to the last generation of ultra-rapid insulins together with Fiasp and Lyumjev.

Ms Cain acknowledged Australia’s diabetes community, including the Australian Diabetes Society, the Australian Diabetes Educators Association, JDRF Australia, the Australia and New Zealand Society for Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes and the Australian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society, as well as the thousands of passionate and committed diabetes advocates.

“When Australia’s diabetes community is united in the fight for change, we can achieve anything,” she stated.

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