Ovarian Cancer Australia to make PBAC submission in support of GSK’s PARP inhibitor

Pharma News: GSK’s PARP inhibitor for ovarian cancer patients was approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in June 2019 and is still awaiting the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) approval.

Ovarian Cancer Australia is advocating for the reimbursement of Zejula (niraparib) by making a submission to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

A GSK Australia spokesperson told Health Industry Hub “When reimbursed, Zejula will be the first PARP inhibitor to be listed on the PBS for the maintenance treatment of women with platinum sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer, regardless of BRCA mutation status, which occurs in only ~30% of women.

“It is estimated ovarian cancer will be the 10^th most commonly diagnosed cancer among females in Australia, yet it has one of the poorest 5-year relative survival rates at 45.7%. It is estimated that almost 1,500 new cases of ovarian cancer have been diagnosed in Australia in 2020.

“There remains a high unmet need for women with ovarian cancer beyond BRCA mutation status. We are therefore hopeful the PBAC will see the contribution Zejula can bring to women living with advanced ovarian cancer who need additional options earlier in their treatment pathway.”

Ovarian Cancer Australia (OCA) is asking consumers to have their say directly or via the OCA survey.

GSK confirmed the company’s commitment to bringing Zejula to Australian patients as quickly as possible and looks forward to working with the PBAC to ensure this therapy is publicly funded in a timely manner.