Australians with diabetic macular oedema (DMO) or neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) now have access to Vabysmo under the PBS.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mr Mark Butler, announced on 1 January 2023 that Vabysmo (faricimab) will be listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for the first time to treat both conditions.
Roche Australia announced in August last year that the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) had registered Vabysmo for the treatment of DMO and nAMD.
Vabysmo is administered by four initial four-weekly eye injections. Thereafter, Roche advises, the frequency of the ongoing injections will be determined by the treating ophthalmologist.
According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, last year more than 18,000 people with DMO and 62,000 people with nAMD accessed comparable treatments through the PBS.
Without the PBS subsidy, patients might pay more than $4,000 a year for treatment.
The announcement comes as the Federal Government puts into action other key election promises to make medicines cheaper for Australians.
As of 1 January, millions of Australians will pay up to 29% less for their PBS prescriptions, with the maximum PBS co-payment dropping from $42.50 to $30.
For the first time in the 75-year history of the PBS, the co-payment for general scripts has fallen.
For a family relying on two or three medications, this can put as much as $450 back into their household budget, the department stated.
Since 1 July 2022 there has been additional funding approved for 61 new and amended listings on the PBS.
“The Government has delivered on our commitment to cut the cost of medications for millions of Australians,” Butler said.
“Pharmacists have told me stories of their customers coming in with a handful of prescriptions asking for advice about which script they can go without, because they can’t afford to fill them all. Our cheaper medicines policy will make that choice redundant for millions of Australians.”
More reading
TGA registers Vabysmo to treat two primary causes of vision loss
Vabysmo recommended for PBS as two-year trial confirms fewer treatments for wet AMD
