Rethink on chemotherapy as Government funds new medicine to fight lymphoma
Thousands of Australians living with deadly forms of blood cancer can now access a new treatment which works to damage and destroy the genetic make-up of cancer cells, providing an alternative to traditional chemotherapy.
The Federal Government will this week add RIBOMUSTIN® (bendamustine hydrochloride) to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for the treatment of previously untreated Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and Mantle Cell Lymphoma,1 two blood cancers that affect around 30,000 Australians.2
Lymphoma expert, Associate Professor Stephen Opat, Consultant Haematologist from Monash Health described the PBS listing of Bendamustine (RIBOMUSTIN) as “long overdue”.
“This medicine has been used overseas for many years, but until now Australian doctors had to enrol patients in trials or seek compassionate access when Bendamustine (RIBOMUSTIN) therapy was appropriate,” he said.
Each year, nearly 5,000 Australians are diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma,3 a cancer of the lymphatic system and the most common form of blood cancer.3,4 Lymphoma occurs when white blood cells which normally fight infections multiply uncontrollably, weakening the immune system’s ability to fight infection.5
The cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage as symptoms, including swollen glands in the neck, groin and arms, tiredness, breathlessness, fevers and weight loss, may not be noticed or considered serious enough to warrant further investigation.5
Dr Opat said that Bendamustine (RIBOMUSTIN) works by damaging the DNA of cancer cells causing them to self-destruct.
Dr Opat noted that a new treatment era was emerging with a number of new medicines being developed to treat blood
cancers.
Lymphoma Australia Chief Executive, Sharon Winton said that the availability of RIBOMUSTIN on the PBS represented “a very good day for lymphoma patients”.
“Many people with lymphoma fear chemotherapy so new treatment options are very welcome,” she said.
RIBOMUSTIN is administered by intravenous infusion which takes between 30–60 minutes, and is combined with a treatment known as rituximab.1
The medicine is listed on the PBS for the treatment of previously untreated indolent Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and Mantle Cell Lymphoma in combination with rituximab.
RIBOMUSTIN is generally well-tolerated, with the most common side-effects seen in clinical trials being thrombocytopenia (low platelets, the cells which clot the blood), neutropenia (a reduction in the white blood cells which combat bacterial infections), leukopenia (low white blood cells), anaemia, gastrointestinal disorders, infections, pyrexia (fevers), dyspnoea (shortness of breath), cough and rash. 1
