New PBS listings to bring hope for Australians living with kidney disease, cystic fibrosis and cancer

There’s new hope for Australians living with chronic kidney disease, cystic fibrosis, and tumours of the midgut, thanks to new and amended medicines listings on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from 1 February 2020.

The Morrison Government listed Pharmacor Cinacalcet on the PBS to help more patients with chronic kidney disease who are on dialysis.

In 2017, about 17,000 Australians lost their lives to chronic kidney disease. This disease accounts for about 1.8 million hospitalisations – or 16% of all hospitalisations in Australia. Approximately 3,700 patients are expected to benefit from this listing each year. Without subsidy, patients would pay over $700 per year for Pharmacor Cinacalcet.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ Symdeko was listed on the PBS on 1 December 2019 for the treatment of cystic fibrosis, and will now be extended to ensure all patients with at least one residual function mutation in the CFTR gene have access to this medicine.

The Government will also extend the PBS listing of Novartis’ Sandostatin to patients with non‑functional neuroendocrine tumours of the midgut. Without the PBS subsidy, approximately 460 patients would otherwise pay more than $23,500 per year for treatment.

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