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Injection to treat MS goes on the PBS
New PBS listings include an injectable treatment for multiple sclerosis likely to benefit more than 30,000 Australians each year.
More than 30,000 people are expected to benefit from the listing of a new form of treatment for multiple sclerosis.
A new injectable form of a medication used to treat a debilitating form of multiple sclerosis has now become available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
Ocrelizumab (sold as Ocrevus) has been listed on the PBS to treat adult patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), the most common form of the disease.
Previously, the medication has been administered via twice-yearly intravenous infusions, which can take several hours, but the new form can be delivered every six months via an ‘under-the-skin’ injection that lasts 10 minutes.
The PBS listing is aimed at improving access to treatment and potentially reducing time away from work for patients, especially those in regional and remote areas.
RRMS is known for causing flare-ups with new or worsening symptoms, followed by partial or complete recovery.
More than 30,000 Australians are expected to benefit from the PBS listing annually, with previous costs rising to more than $16,500 for each course of treatment.
It was added to the NHS in the UK last year.
The news of the PBS listing comes at the same time as the release of a report from the Menzies Institute for Medical Research which suggests MS costs Australians more than $3 billion a year.
The Multiple Sclerosis Prevalence and Health Economic Impact in Australia 2025 report also found a sharp increase in the number of people diagnosed with MS, reporting 37,756 Australians now live with the disease – a rise of 77% since 2010.
The report’s lead author Dr Julie Campbell said that with the mean cost per person living with MS being almost $80,000, the report shows it is not just a health challenge, but also an economic one.
‘For the first time, we’ve seen a slight decrease in inflation-adjusted average costs per person. This may reflect the impact of high-efficacy disease modifying therapies, particularly for people with RRMS,’ she said.
‘But the overall economic burden of MS continues to climb as more Australians are diagnosed.’
The report makes seven recommendations, with its priority being support for research and activities focusing on the prevention of MS.
It also calls for greater support efforts towards earlier diagnosis and intervention, developing interventions promoting neuroprotection and myelin repair, and implementing early support programs that assist people living with MS to remain in the workforce.
Other new PBS listings, announced on Thursday, include toripalimab (sold as Zytorvi), for the treatment of adults with recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma, which is expected to benefit around 75 Australians each year.
The eligibility for bimekizumab (sold as Bimzelx) to treat more people with moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa is also being expanded, with more than 2500 patients accessing a comparable treatment through the PBS last year.
Finally, pegcetacoplan (sold as Empaveli) will be expanded to include the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria in adults who don’t respond well to existing treatments or who are new to therapies. In 2024, there were around 150 patients who accessed a comparable treatment.
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