New PBS listings to benefit patients with leukaemia, rare blood disease, COVID-19 and graft versus host disease

Pharma News: Australians will have access to four new medicines through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from 1st March 2022.

Leukaemia

Pfizer’s Mylotarg (gemtuzumab ozogamicin) is being listed for the first time for patients with previously untreated de novo CD33-positve acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), for use in combination with standard intensive chemotherapy.

AML is one of the rarer forms of cancer, accounting for 0.8% of all cancers diagnosed, but it can occur at any age and is more common among adults over the age of 60.

The listing of Mylotarg on the PBS will benefit around 900 Australians a year, who without subsidy may pay around $18,000 per course of treatment.

Graft versus host disease

Terumo’s Uvadex (methoxsalen) is being listed on the PBS for patients with chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD), a complication that can occur when patients undergoing cancer treatment receive transplanted stem cells from a donor.

cGVHD is a complication of allogeneic stem cell transplant, that occurs when donor bone marrow or stem cells start recognising the recipient’s body as foreign and start attacking the recipient’s body cells. Uvadex will be used as part of an integrated, closed system extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) service for the treatment of cGVHD.

The listing of Uvadex on the PBS will benefit around 180 Australians a year, who without subsidy could pay more than $9,200 per course of treatment.

Paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH)

Australians with paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH), a condition that produces defective blood cells, will have access to Alexion’s Ultomiris (ravulizumab).

PNH is a rare, potentially life-threatening condition in which red blood cells break apart prematurely. Symptoms occur because of the production of defective blood cells and because the bone marrow does not produce enough blood cells.

Ultomiris is the first approved, long-acting complement C5 inhibitor for PNH administered every eight weeks.

The PBS listing will benefit around 160 Australians a year, who without subsidy may pay around $550,000 per year for treatment.

At the same time, Alexion’s Soliris (eculizumab), which has been available through the Life Savings Drug Program for the treatment of PNH, will move to the PBS.

Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease, is the group within AstraZeneca focused on rare diseases, created following the 2021 acquisition of Alexion Pharmaceuticals.

COVID-19

MSD’s Lagevrio (molnupiravir) is an oral anti-viral for patients with mild-moderate COVID-19 at high risk for developing severe disease.

Adults whose COVID-19 infection is PCR or RAT verified by the prescribing doctor and who can start treatment within five days of symptom onset, can be prescribed PBS-subsidised Lagevrio by their doctor.