From 1 March 2022, Australians with chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD), a complication that can occur when patients undergoing cancer treatment receive transplanted stem cells from a donor, will have access to a new treatment through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
cGVHD is a complication of allogeneic stem cell transplant, that occurs when donor bone marrow or stem cells start recognising the recipient\u2019s body as foreign and start attacking the recipient\u2019s body cells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This causes damage in the body, especially to the liver, skin and gut. cGVHD can appear immediately or any time after a patient\u2019s allogeneic transplant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Uvadex\u00ae (methoxsalen) will be used as part of an integrated, closed system extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) service for the treatment of cGVHD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ECP is a type of treatment which removes some of a patient\u2019s blood using a machine. The machine separates the white blood cells\u2014then red blood cells and plasma go back into the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The white blood cells are mixed with Uvadex\u00ae<\/sup>, then exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light and put back into the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The listing of Uvadex\u00ae on the PBS will be extended for the treatment of steroid dependant, steroid intolerant or steroid refractory chronic cGVHD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, said the listing of Uvadex\u00ae on the PBS will benefit around 180 Australians a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWithout PBS subsidy, Australians with cGVHD could pay more than $9,200 per course of treatment, instead, from March 1, they\u2019ll be able to access it for $42.50 per script or just $6.80 for people with a concession card,\u201d Minister Hunt said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSince 2013, the Coalition Government had approved more than 2,800 new or amended listings on the PBS. This represents an average of around 30 listings or amendments per month – or one each day – at an overall investment by the Government of $14.3 billion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Concurrently, two new items will be introduced on the Medicare Benefits Schedule (PBS) for the use of ECP in combination with Uvadex\u00ae<\/sup> to treat this condition, as recommended by the Medical Services Advisory Committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This PBS listing has been recommended by the independent Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Morrison Government’s commitment to ensuring Australians can access affordable medicines, when they need them, remains rock solid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a strong contrast to Albanese and Labor, who when last in Government stopped listing essential medicines and treatments on the PBS.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" From 1 March 2022, Australians with chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD), a complication that can occur when patients undergoing cancer treatment receive transplanted stem cells from a donor, will have access to a new treatment through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). cGVHD is a complication of allogeneic stem cell transplant, that occurs when donor … Continue reading “New PBS listing to help fight chronic graft versus host disease”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aussie"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15008","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15008"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15008\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15009,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15008\/revisions\/15009"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15008"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15008"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15008"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}