People with rare and less common cancers have been given new hope today, with the release of a positive recommendation from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) that, if accepted, would make a potentially life-changing immunotherapya treatment that uses a person's immune system to fight cancer more affordable and available to those who need it.
The recommendation of a ‘pan-tumour’ listing means the immunotherapy pembrolizumab (Keytruda) could become available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for appropriate patients with cancera disease where abnormal cells split without control and spread to other nearby body tissue and/or organs based on clinical judgment, rather than cancer type. This would provide equitable access for people with rare cancers who would benefit, as their current choice is to either go without or self-fund at an eye-watering expense, with Keytruda only subsidised for thirteen cancer types as it stands.
Rare Cancers Australia (RCA) Chief Executive Officer, Christine Cockburn, said the recommendation was a significant and long-awaited signal that meaningful system change is possible.
“We welcome today’s announcement and are encouraged by what it represents – a seismic shift in thinking. But we cannot lose sight of the ultimate objective, and that’s ensuring that these life-changing medicines are made available to patients who need them, when they need them,” Ms Cockburn stated.
“For far too long rare and less common cancer patients have been failed by a system that does not recognise them because of their small numbers – forcing them into the impossible choice of paying thousands per treatment for a chance at life or going without. It’s inexcusable.”
Patients like Melbournian man, Celestino Carosella, who has had to self-fund to access pembrolizumab to treat his rare adrenocortical carcinomacancer arising from tissues that line organs, at a cost of approximately $15,000 to date.
“Before I started on Keytruda I took part in two phase 1 clinical trialsresearch studies performed to test new treatments, tests or procedures and evaluate their effectiveness on various diseases that didn’t work, while my cancer continued to progress. If it had been available on the PBS for my rare cancer type, I would have started it sooner,” Celestino explains.
“To my relief, the first scan since starting Keytruda has showed positive results, there were no new metastases and a number of existing ones had got smaller. While patients with other cancer types can access this on the PBS, I have to keep draining my savings and superannuation for a chance to stay alive.
“Approving this recommendation would give people like me faster access to the treatment we need, without the financial stress. This listing cannot come soon enough for me and my family,” he said.
Following eight years of advocacy, this is the second positive PBAC recommendation for a ‘pan-tumour’ approach to assessing medicines within just three months, following the positive recommendation for immunotherapy combination nivolumab (Optivo) and ipilimumab (Yervoy) in October.
“We are greatly encouraged to see the PBAC taking a pragmatic and more equitable approach to recommending cancer therapies for subsidy on the PBS. We now need fast and decisive action from the Government to make access a reality for the Australians with cancer who urgently need these medicines.” Ms Cockburn concluded.