Friday 5 July 2013

30Jun13: Minister for Health Tanya Plibersek approves Abiraterone subsidy but only for some (under PBS from August 2013)


TOO MANY ARE MISSING OUT - see: http://goo.gl/5QEhe  EXTRACT FROM MINISTER'S STATEMENT:
 

Ms. Plibersek, (quote), “The PBS listing of abiraterone will benefit more than 1,000 Australians each year who would otherwise have to pay around $27,000 a year to access the drug. This medicine offers an important treatment option for patients who are not well enough to tolerate further chemotherapy.”

 

Minister, only terminal patients having failed chemotherapy will be eligible for a PBS subsidy for Abiraterone. The rest face the ordeal of chemo and qualify only when it fails. This is illogical because chemotherapy requires hospital resources and is costly itself. Abiraterone (tablets) can substantially delay metastases, cause them to regress and is well tolerated. It extends life, pain-free.

 

The FDA in USA recognizes this and approves its use in the pre-chemotherapy group. The TGA in Australia still needs to do so and the PBAC to recommend PBS subsidy. This would be humane and cost-effective.

 

My petition with 5,400 signatures seeks to achieve this and needs the signatures (urgently) of all supporters and of the contacts of those who have already signed. Please ask everyone to sign it at http://chn.ge/QsuSHc .

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