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Listings double in H1
Posted 30 May 2018
Health Minister Greg Hunt's announcement that three new medicines will list on the PBS on Friday takes the new listings total for the first half of 2018 to 15.
While slightly less than the 16 new listings for the same six-month period last year, the 2018 half-yearly total was well above the seven drugs listed in the second half of 2017.
The steady listings total also went against a trend for more more PBAC meetings and new listing submissions, both of which have increased steadily over the past two years.
Last December, an extra meeting was held to make-up for an overflow in November's bumper agenda.
PBAC positive recommendations are leaving a queue of new drugs waiting for reimbursement with it yet to be seen whether listings for the second half of 2018 continue at the same pace or dribble down as occurred in 2017.
Among new listings, Roche won big with a trifecta of major drugs now reimbursed: Ocrevus to treat multiple sclerosis, new checkpoint inhibitor Tecentriq in lung cancer, and another lung cancer therapy, Alecensa.
Bohringer Ingelheim also listed two new drugs in the six month period, Giotrif for EGFR-mutated lung cancer, and new diabetes dual therapy Glyxambi, which listed at the same time as AZ's similar dual treatment Qtern.
As per usual, cancer therapies made up the biggest bulk of new drugs listed, taking up seven of the 15 total. However diabetes also had a solid showing with four new medicines.
Other cancer therapies listed included Amgen's myeloma drug Kyprolis, Ipsen's Cabometyx for renal cell carcinoma, Sun Pharma's Odomzo and Mundipharma's T-cell lymphoma drug Folotyn.
Meanwhile the diabetes market also welcomed Sanofi's higher-dose insulin glargine product Toujeo, listed just before the company's blockbuster Lantus saw rival biosimilar Semglee ARTG registered, while Lilly's Trulicity is to be added from Friday.
Rounding off the list was GSK's Trelegy Ellipta for COPD patients, epilepsy treatment Briviact, and Link's Trexject.
The first half of the year also saw several significant expanded uses of existing medicines listed on the PBS.
In April, Gilead's Truvada and its corresponding generics were listed for PrEP to much media fanfare after a long road to PBAC recommendation.
Meanwhile on the cancer front, Opdivo received expanded listing for squamous non-small cell lung cancer, while Keytruda was listed for classical Hodgkin's lymphoma in May.
Also not included in the total were two vaccines NIP listed in anticipation for the flu season. Sanofi's high dose Fluzone and Seqirus' Fluad were recommended in a expedited PBAC meeting and listed on the program in April, although they are now suffering supply shortages as demand surges across the country for the shots.
Yajun Ma
Posted 30 May 2018
Health Minister Greg Hunt's announcement that three new medicines will list on the PBS on Friday takes the new listings total for the first half of 2018 to 15.
While slightly less than the 16 new listings for the same six-month period last year, the 2018 half-yearly total was well above the seven drugs listed in the second half of 2017.
The steady listings total also went against a trend for more more PBAC meetings and new listing submissions, both of which have increased steadily over the past two years.
Last December, an extra meeting was held to make-up for an overflow in November's bumper agenda.
PBAC positive recommendations are leaving a queue of new drugs waiting for reimbursement with it yet to be seen whether listings for the second half of 2018 continue at the same pace or dribble down as occurred in 2017.
Among new listings, Roche won big with a trifecta of major drugs now reimbursed: Ocrevus to treat multiple sclerosis, new checkpoint inhibitor Tecentriq in lung cancer, and another lung cancer therapy, Alecensa.
Bohringer Ingelheim also listed two new drugs in the six month period, Giotrif for EGFR-mutated lung cancer, and new diabetes dual therapy Glyxambi, which listed at the same time as AZ's similar dual treatment Qtern.
As per usual, cancer therapies made up the biggest bulk of new drugs listed, taking up seven of the 15 total. However diabetes also had a solid showing with four new medicines.
Other cancer therapies listed included Amgen's myeloma drug Kyprolis, Ipsen's Cabometyx for renal cell carcinoma, Sun Pharma's Odomzo and Mundipharma's T-cell lymphoma drug Folotyn.
Meanwhile the diabetes market also welcomed Sanofi's higher-dose insulin glargine product Toujeo, listed just before the company's blockbuster Lantus saw rival biosimilar Semglee ARTG registered, while Lilly's Trulicity is to be added from Friday.
Rounding off the list was GSK's Trelegy Ellipta for COPD patients, epilepsy treatment Briviact, and Link's Trexject.
The first half of the year also saw several significant expanded uses of existing medicines listed on the PBS.
In April, Gilead's Truvada and its corresponding generics were listed for PrEP to much media fanfare after a long road to PBAC recommendation.
Meanwhile on the cancer front, Opdivo received expanded listing for squamous non-small cell lung cancer, while Keytruda was listed for classical Hodgkin's lymphoma in May.
Also not included in the total were two vaccines NIP listed in anticipation for the flu season. Sanofi's high dose Fluzone and Seqirus' Fluad were recommended in a expedited PBAC meeting and listed on the program in April, although they are now suffering supply shortages as demand surges across the country for the shots.
Yajun Ma
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