Zytiga (abiraterone) before chemotherapy crosses first hurdle in Australia

[JimmyToowong]

Jimmy Toowong (not a doctor) said ...

In short

Zytiga (abiraterone) may now be sold in Australia for use before chemotherapy by men with prostate cancer which is both metastatic and castrate resistant, provided they are otherwise fairly well.

 

For men without more the than $3000 dollars per month cost, it still must prove it is cost effective before it is put on the PBS

 

More detail

Zytiga (abiraterone) is currently both:

• approved by the Theraputic Goods Administration (TGA) for sale in Australia; and
  
• listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for subsidised supply to men who need it after failing chemotherapy with Taxotere (docetaxel).
  

The company who makes Zytiga has proposed that it be made available to men with:

metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRP) who are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic after failure of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).

 

This has been considered by the TGA and approved by them in a document called an Auspar:

http://www.tga.gov.au/pdf/auspar/auspar-abiraterone-acetate-140122.pdf

So Zytiga can now be sold in Australia for this purpose.

 

The next step is that the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) must decide whether the medicine works as well or better than other medicines for treating a particular illness, and the price is acceptable.

If so, it will recommend that it be subsidised on the PBS.

 

The final step is that the government (through the cabinet) approves the expenditure.

 

So, one hurdle jumped, two to go.

... end Jimmy Toowong