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🇦🇺 Australia /Health & Science

Women who feared losing vital cancer treatment offered new hope

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Ongoing story
  • Women with breast cancer facing uncertainty over a vital drug, Zoladex, have been offered new hope with an equivalent medication, triptorelin, set to be subsidized.
  • AstraZeneca, the maker of Zoladex, announced it would withdraw the drug from the PBS and private market in November due to low Australian pricing making it unsustainable.
  • The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) recommended expanding the PBS listing for triptorelin, and the government is committed to listing recommended medications.

Women undergoing critical cancer treatment have received a significant reprieve as an equivalent medication to the soon-to-be-unavailable Zoladex is on track for Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) subsidization. This development offers a much-needed long-term treatment solution for breast cancer and endometriosis patients who have faced considerable uncertainty in recent months.

The government lists medicines on the PBS at the earliest opportunity once recommended by PBAC, and all relevant listing requirements have been met by the pharmaceutical company.

— health department spokespersonConfirming the government's commitment to listing recommended medications on the PBS.

The drug Zoladex, a goserelin 3.6mg implant, is manufactured by AstraZeneca. The company announced its decision to withdraw the drug from both the PBS and the private market in November. This move left many patients contemplating drastic treatment changes, including potentially facing more invasive surgeries.

I think what [AstraZeneca's access program] presented is so much uncertainty.

— Vicki DurstonDirector of Policy and Advocacy at Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) expressing concerns about reliance on pharmaceutical company programs.

In response to the looming shortage, an out-of-session meeting of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) was convened. The committee recommended expanding the PBS listing for triptorelin, an equivalent medication, to cover a wider range of women's health conditions. A spokesperson for the health department affirmed the federal government's commitment to listing all medications recommended by the PBAC, provided all listing requirements are met by the pharmaceutical company.

We want to ensure… that we don't see a two-tiered model where pharmaceutical companies are running programs that sit outside those regulatory structures.

— Vicki DurstonBCNA Director highlighting the need for regulated access to medication.

Previously, AstraZeneca cited the low Australian price of Zoladex as the reason for its unsustainability. While the company initially offered a temporary access program, it later expanded this to provide the medication free of charge to eligible patients lacking alternative treatment options, following pressure from patient advocates. However, patient groups emphasize the importance of having a medication listed on the PBS, rather than relying on company-run access programs, to ensure equitable and regulated access.

And we need to ensure that [women] are protected and that there are safeguards to ensure that this doesn't happen again.

— Vicki DurstonBCNA Director advocating for patient protection and future safeguards.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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