Melanoma Immunotherapy gains PBS Support

Melanoma drug Keytruda (pembrolizumab) will be available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits scheme from September this year, according to an announcement from the Commonwealth Government over the weekend.
The drug which is used to treat metastatic melanoma currently costs up to $156,130 per year but will soon be available for $37.70 per script for general patients and $6.10 for concessional patients.
Keytruda is used after many options have been explored: according to the website It is only prescribed after a tumor has spread or cannot be removed by surgery (advanced melanoma) and after unsuccessful use of ipilimumab (or Yervoy) and if the tumor has an abnormal “BRAF” gene, and if a BRAF inhibitor has been used and proven unsuccessful.
It is an immunotherapy that works by blocking the PD-1 pathway and as such, can attack organs and tissues leading to lung, liver, intestinal, kidney and hormonal problems.
Nonetheless it is an alternative to chemotherapy and radiation therapy and part of the class of drugs that has been heralded as the next revolution in medicine: the biology revolution.
Australia is actually far behind the developed world on access to new medications, ranked 18 out of 20 in a recent Office of Economic Development (OECD) report on access to new medicines. Leading pharmaceutical manufacturer MSD (the Australian arm of Keytruda’s US developer Merck) has blamed the government for delaying public access to affordable medicine.
"We are concerned that government will take over five months to list this medicine after it was given the green light by the Therapeutic Goods Administration and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee in March." said Dr Susanne Fiedler, MSD Australia and New Zealand managing director in the Financial Review.