CANBERRA, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government has expanded access to subsidized medicines for patients with cystic fibrosis, blood cancer and thyroid eye disease under the country's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), Health Minister Mark Butler said on Sunday.
Under the changes taking effect on Nov. 1, children aged six to 11 with cystic fibrosis who weigh less than 30 kg will be eligible for a granule form of Trikafta, a medicine targeting the underlying cause of the genetic condition.
The new formulation is designed to help children who have difficulty swallowing tablets. About 3,300 Australians are expected to benefit from the expanded listing each year, according to a government statement.
Without PBS subsidies, the treatment could cost patients more than 20,300 Australian dollars (about 14,200 U.S. dollars) per prescription.
The government has also added Tepezza to the PBS as a treatment for active, moderate-to-severe thyroid eye disease, with around 310 Australians expected to benefit annually.
Meanwhile, subsidized access to Adcetris has been expanded to provide a new first-line treatment option for patients with advanced CD30-positive classical Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, benefiting an estimated 370 Australians each year.
The PBS listing for Repatha, a medicine used to treat high cholesterol, has also been amended to allow eligible patients to obtain larger quantities under the government's 60-day prescription initiative.
Under the PBS, eligible patients will pay a maximum of 25 Australian dollars per prescription, or 7.70 Australian dollars for concession card holders.
The government said it has approved additional funding for 511 new and amended PBS listings since July 2022. ■
