a global survey published in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases as part of the UC Narrative effort, the majority of individuals, around 84 percent, with moderate-to-severe UC found the condition to be mentally wearing; around 65 percent of patients spent more time inside the bathroom than any other place; and around 67 percent of people believed their disease had a great control over their life.
The majority of study respondents, around 83 percent, agreed that UC had an influence on their employment, with 21 percent having anxiety and 15 percent having depression diagnoses. Pfizer Australia is pleased with the PBS listing, which underlines the company’s continuous commitment to bringing new therapies to Australian patients.
According to Professor Jakob Begun, a top expert in inflammatory bowel disease, the PBS listing is a crucial move that is capable of helping many Australian patients suffering from the disease. Professor Begun explained about ulcerative colitis. He said , “Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory condition of the large bowel characterised by ‘flares’, which can be unpredictable and have a debilitating impact on a patient’s physical, social and emotional wellbeing. This announcement from the government will provide clinicians caring for these patients the ability to explore additional treatment options”.
The announcement was also welcomed by Crohn’s and Colitis Australia, a non-profit organization that supports the inflammatory bowel disease community. Crohn’s and Colitis Australia CEO Leanne Raven spoke about the importance of inflammatory bowel disease treatments. He said, “Inflammatory bowel disease continues to have a devastating effect on our community. Given the high prevalence of these conditions and broad-range impact on daily lives, it is important that we continue to look at ways to improve treatments and support for people living with ulcerative colitis”.
According to Anne Harris, Managing Director of Pfizer Australia and New Zealand, the reimbursement listing is an important step forward in providing new medications to patients and doctors. Harris appreciated the government’s initiative. She said, “We thank the government for recognising the need to deliver additional solutions to those living with this condition and the burden of ill health. We are proud to be playing a positive role in developing and supplying emerging treatments for patients with inflammatory bowel disease”.
