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PBS access to Zoladex extended
Following swift backlash from patients and GPs, the breast cancer treatment will now be available on the PBS until May 2027.
AstraZeneca extends PBS access for treatment of specific hormonal and women’s health conditions until May 2027.
AstraZeneca has pushed back the removal of the Zoladex monthly implant from Australian shelves by six months, announcing on Wednesday that the product will remain on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) until 1 May 2027.
The change also allows PBS prescriptions written by 30 April 2027 to be filled until 1 May 2028.
The 3.6 mg goserelin implant (sold as Zoladex) was initially set to be delisted on 1 November 2026 – a decision which left thousands of patients facing uncertainty regarding their treatment options.
Dr Marie Guillet, AstraZeneca Australia and New Zealand Country President, said the manufacturer recognises the ‘significant concern’ felt by patients following its initial announcement.
‘We are pleased to confirm today that access to the Zoladex monthly 3.6 mg implant will extend on the PBS, with eligible patients being able to fill their PBS script for another 18 months,’ she said.
The injectable implant, which was first listed on the PBS in 1991, was dispensed 92,191 times in the 12 months leading up to the end of May 2026, according to PBS figures.
Dr Guillet acknowledged Zoladex’s clinical use in Australia but also said it is ‘expensive to manufacture and the accumulation of years of inflation has increased the manufacturing cost, despite productivity improvements’.
‘Universal and equitable access to medicines is critical to the continued health of Australians,’ she said.
‘The PBS will require appropriate funding to ensure Australians are not denied access to medicines.’
Ahead of the delisting, and following widespread advocacy from both clinical and patient groups, it was announced this month that triptorelin 3.75 mg (sold as Diphereline) would be available on the PBS from 1 October.
In response, AstraZeneca’s previously announced Zoladex continuity program will not proceed.
In addition to this, the Zoladex three-monthly 10.8 mg implant, which is currently listed on the PBS for the treatment of prostate cancer, is now registered with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for the management specific hormonal breast cancers.
However, the outcome of PBAC’s evaluation of AstraZeneca’s submission for this PBS listing of this indication is still pending.
AstraZeneca is considering making a further application to secure long-term reimbursed access for the Zoladex monthly 3.6mg implant.
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