Drug company backdown sees lifesaving cancer treatment offered for free in Australia

Women in Australia will continue to receive a vital cancer and endometriosis drug indefinitely, following a significant backdown by pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. The company had previously announced it would withdraw the goserelin 3.6mg implant, known as Zoladex, from both the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and the private market in November.

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This includes patients who are currently prescribed and patients who may need to be prescribed the implant as a treatment option after 1 November 2026.

This decision triggered widespread criticism from patient advocates and the public, with a Change.org petition garnering over 42,000 signatures. Many women expressed extreme fear, with some contemplating ovary removal due to the prospect of losing access to the medication. AstraZeneca had initially proposed a six-month free access program, but has now committed to indefinite supply for patients for whom no other suitable treatments exist.

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It's quite possible that because it's been provided for free it's not included in the benchmark and that's one of the workarounds.

Pharmaceutical commentator Paul Cross suggested that AstraZeneca's decision might be financially motivated to avoid setting a low pricing precedent in Australia, which could impact international reference pricing. He explained that supplying the drug for free might prevent it from being included in international price benchmarks, a common strategy in the global pharmaceutical industry. Cross warned that Australia could become more vulnerable to such decisions as major markets like the US and China become more assertive on drug pricing.

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International reference pricing has been a feature of the global pharmaceutical industry for many, many years.