Three new cancer drugs listed on the PBS
Therapies are now subsidised for refractory glioblastoma, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and neuroendocrine tumours
Three new treatments have been listed on the PBS for people with aggressive forms of cancer, including refractory glioblastoma.
Subsidies for bevacizumab (Avastin), dasatinib (Sprycel) and lanreotide (Somatuline Autogel) were announced by federal Minister for Health Greg Hunt last week and came into effect on 1 August.
The drug indications are:
The listing for dasatinib in particular marks a world-first, with Australia the first country to list the drug for this form of leukaemia. It is designed to kill cancerous cells in the bone marrow to allow normal blood cell and platelet production to resume.
