Sydney, Australia (CU)_ Australians suffering acute myeloid leukemia (AML) will be able to obtain a new treatment option under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) starting from December 1. The federal government is adding and expanding Venclexta® (venetoclax) to the list of approved drugs for the treatment of AML in conjunction with azacitidine.
AML is a rare kind of cancer that emerges suddenly and develops rapidly. AML develops when immature white blood cells known as blasts become malignant. These malignant blast cells are referred to as leukaemia cells. Due to the immature and aberrant nature of leukaemia cells, they are unable to perform the typical infection-fighting function of white blood cells. In AML, mutations in these cells prevent them from maturing into mature blood cells, leading to an abnormally high number of immature cells and an insufficient number of mature blood cells, platelets, and other white blood cells in the blood.
Venclexta specifically targets and inhibits the function of a protein called BCL-2 found in leukaemia cells. By inhibiting this protein, cancer cells are killed and the number of cancer cells are reduced, which may help delay the progression of the illness. Nearly 5,000 Australians were diagnosed with leukaemia in 2021. Each year, around 1,100 Australians are diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). AML becomes increasingly prevalent as people get older, with the majority of cases prevalent after the age of 65.
According to Greg Hunt, the Minister for Health and Aged Care, giving AML patients access to Venclexta®, which is currently on the PBS for other diseases, will provide them additional treatment options and improved results. The independent Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee also welcomed this PBS listing.
Minister Hunt claimed that this initiative will be beneficial to numerous Australian patients. He said, “Around 340 Australian patients a year will benefit from this expanded listing, who without the PBS subsidy would pay more than $88,800 per course of treatment. From 1 December, they’ll pay $41.30 per script or $6.60 with a concession card”. He appreciated the government’s efforts and added, “Since 2013, the Coalition Government has approved more than 2,800 new or amended listings on the PBS. This represents an average of around 30 listings or amendments per month – or one each day – at an overall investment by the Government of $14 billion. Our Government’s commitment to ensuring Australians can access affordable medicines, when they need them, remains rock solid.”
