New PBS Listings to Treat Cancer

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PDF printable version of New PBS Listings to Treat Cancer (PDF 23 KB)

3 May 2008

As part of its commitment to supporting Australians living with cancer, the Rudd Government will provide over $600 million in the 2009-10 Budget to ensure that people can get the medicines they need.

The Rudd Government understands the hardships that Australians living with cancer face, so this announcement is a major step to prolonging life and improving the quality of life for the more than 100,000 Australians who are diagnosed with cancer each year.
From 1 July 2009 the drug Avastin used for the treatment of colorectal cancer, also known as bowel cancer will be subsidised under the PBS.

Bowel cancer accounts for approximately 14 per cent of all cancer registrations and is the second most common cancer in Australia.

In the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer, Avastin has been shown to prolong life, control symptoms and maintain or improve quality of life.

Around 1,710 additional people will begin using Avastin for the treatment of colorectal cancer in the first full financial year of listing.

The listing of Avastin will add around $310.7 million to the PBS and Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme expenditure between 2009-10 and 2012-13.

Funding of $166 million over four years will ensure that the 1,000 Australians who access the drug trastuzumab (Herceptin), used to treat late stage breast cancer, will continue to have it subsidised through the Herceptin Program. This is in addition to the availability of Herceptin through the PBS for the treatment of early stage breast cancer.

Herceptin significantly improves survival rates and quality of life for patients with HER-2 positive metastatic breast cancer. Without the subsidy, the cost to patients being treated with the drug would be around $60,000 per year.

The Herceptin Program began in December 2001 and so far more than 3,000 patients have accessed the program. The funding in this Budget ensures that patients can continue to access this important treatment.

From 1 May 2009 more than 600 Australians living with renal cell cancer will have access to the drug Sutent through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), at a cost of $131 million to the Government.
Renal cell cancer, which is a form of kidney cancer, accounts for approximately 70 per cent of the total cases of kidney cancer per year.

Sutent, has been shown to reduce the symptoms of the cancer and in many cases extends progression­free survival by about 11 months.

Fighting cancer through prevention, early detection and evidence based treatment and care is a priority of the Rudd Government.

Since the Rudd Government came to office it has committed more than $444.5 million, including:

• $150 million over four years towards the establishment of the Lifehouse at RPA, a new integrated cancer treatment and research centre at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Campus in Sydney;
• $30 million over two years for cancer centres in Melbourne and Adelaide;
• $15 million over five years to set up two dedicated prostate cancer research centres in Melbourne and Brisbane;
• $12 million over four years to the McGrath Foundation to train, recruit and employ
• $87.4 million over three years to the National Bowel Screening Program; and
• $65.45 million for radiation oncology to assist cancer patients in receiving radiation oncology treatment when needed.