New psoriasis treatment added to PBS

In a change expected to benefit more than 140,000 Australians, calcipotriol and betamethasone dipropionate (sold as Wynzora) has been listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for the first time.
 
The medication is now listed for the treatment of chronic stable plaque-type psoriasis vulgaris, helping to slow the overgrowth of skin cells and reduce inflammation and irritation.

Without subsidy, the treatment costs patients around $65 per script.
 
The Federal Government has also confirmed an expanded listing for dapagliflozin (sold as Forxiga) for people living with chronic kidney disease, which is expected to benefit 65,000 people.
 
It follows a recommendation from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, which said the listing for dapagliflozin should be in line with expanded access for empagliflozin that came into effect last year.
 
Without the PBS subsidy, a script would cost around $670.

Another treatment for cystic fibrosis is also now available on the PBS, the latest in a series of medications now listed for the disease.
 
Vanzacaftor with tezacaftor and with deutivacaftor (sold as Alyftrek) has been added to the PBS for the first time, aimed at helping people who have at least one mutation in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene that responds to treatment.
 
The medication, which is taken orally once daily and for people aged six years and older, helps increase the amount of functioning CFTR proteins.
 
It comes after elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (sold as Trikafta) was also added to the PBS for Australians living with cystic fibrosis last July following other new treatments that were listed for the disease.
 
The move could give more than 2650 patients access to a treatment that previously would have cost around $250,000 – described as ‘an impossible price’ by Federal Health and Ageing Minister Mark Butler.
 
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Alyftrek cystic fibrosis PBS Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Wynzora