Forum Discussion

noosa_blue150's avatar
noosa_blue150
Member
3 years ago

Enhertu still,not on pbs 2023

Just caught channel,7 news last night about ms Sarah Lee and her battle with stage 4. She has it in her bones and liver and was given six months to,live originally .
 It’s costing her family $12000 every treatment now, every 3 weeks  (she’s personally written a letter to AZ asking for it on comapssionate grounds but was refused ) she’s organised a fund raiser for next month called as bare as you date which I’ll,look for and support . There’s also a crowd surfer fund page if you look under her name .
I don’t know this lady but her dilemma has really hit me this morning as I contemplate my own situation 
Makes me really worry as,my oncologist flagged it as my next line of treatment when H&P stop holding it at bay.
what more can we do to progress this with authorities ?pbs application got turned down in Aug 22 apparently 

https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/987922
  • arpie's avatar
    arpie
    Member
    3 years ago
    Damn!  It sounds like the advocacy for getting this drug onto PBS should be escalated BIGTIME @BCNA

    This BCNA announcement (late 2022) indicates that there IS a compassionate scheme thru AstraZeneca ... called PAP ... 
    https://www.bcna.org.au/news/2022/08/enhertu-not-recommended-for-pbs/

    On Today this morning, Peta Murphy (parliamentarian) was also interviewed re her Metastatic BC - what a woman.  Well worth watching, if if becomes available as a replay.
  • Jenny_BCNA's avatar
    Jenny_BCNA
    Community Manager
    3 years ago
    Thanks @noosa_blue150 and @arpie

    Enhertu first went to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) in July last year and it was not recommended to be listed on the PBS. AstraZeneca re-applied late 2022 and the decision was published by the PBAC on Friday. The PBAC deferred making a recommendation for Enhertu noting that further consultation with the sponsor regarding the cost-effectiveness would be required, along with revised financial estimates.

    The decision can be found at:

    https://www.pbs.gov.au/industry/listing/elements/pbac-meetings/pbac-outcomes/2022-12/december-2022-pbac-web-outcomes.pdf

    BCNA continues to advocate to both AstraZeneca and the PBAC for Enhertu to be listed on the PBS to ensure equity of access to this treatment that has been shown to improve progression-free survival for people diagnosed with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positive metastatic breast cancer.

    A Patient Access Program (PAP) which provides free access to Enhertu for those eligible is available. Those who want more information or who think they might be eligible should contact their treating teams and/or oncologists. You cannot access the PAP yourself and must go through your oncologist.

  • Julez1958's avatar
    Julez1958
    Member
    3 years ago
    I know BCNA was instrumental in getting kisquali on the PBS so whatever they did there hopefully can apply here.
    Seems like having a federal MP with metastatic breast cancer would be a great opportunity for lobbying for this .
    I do understand that in the US where they don’t have the PBS as we do , the drug companies charge the insurance companies much higher prices ( like 3 times) for kisquali  and similar classes of drugs.