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Healthcare Professionals

PBAC updates

The PBAC is an independent expert body appointed by the Australian Government. Members include doctors, health professionals, health economists and consumer representatives.

Their role is to recommend new medicines for listing on the pharmaceutical benefits scheme (PBS). No new medicine can be listed unless the committee makes a positive recommendation. The PBAC meets three times a year, usually March, July and November.

On this page:

Upcoming PBAC meeting agenda:

November 2020

Lymphoma and CLL submissions in upcoming agenda

November 2020 lymphoma/CLL submissions on agenda

Submission type Drug name and sponsor Drug type and use Listing requested by sponsor & purpose
New listing (minor submission) Ibrutinib Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL); Small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL); Mantle cell lymphoma To request an authority Required listing of ibrutinib tablet under the same conditions as the already listed capsule.
New listing  (minor submission) Mogamulizumab (Kyowa Kirin) Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) Resubmission to request a Section 100 (efficient funding of chemotherapy) Authority Required listing for patients with relapsed or refractory CTCL who have previously been treated with at least one prior systemic therapy

PBAC meeting outcomes

July 2020

Lymphoma and CLL submissions & outcomes

July 2020 PBAC meeting outcomes for lymphoma and CLL submissions

Drug, sponsor, type of submissionDrug type or useListing requested by sponsor/ purpose of submissionPMAC outcome

Venetoclax 

(AbbVie)

Change to listing (minor submission)

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL)Resubmission to request an Authority Required listing, in combination with Obinutuzumab, for first-line treatment of patients with CLL who have coexisting conditions for fludarabine based chemotherapyThe PBAC recommended listing of venetoclax in combination with obinutuzumab for the first-line treatment of patients with CLL who have coexisting conditions and are unsuitable for fludarabine based chemo- immunotherapy. 
Acalabrutinib (AstraZeneca)Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL)To request an Authority Required listing for the treatment of patients (either as monotherapy or in combination with obinutuzumab) with previously untreated CLL or SLL considered unsuitable for treatment with a purine analogue. A second request was for use only in the subgroup of patients with a 17p deletion. 

The PBAC did not recommend the listing of acalabrutinib, for use as monotherapy or in combination with obinutuzumab, for the first-line treatment of patients with CLL or SLL who are considered unsuitable for treatment with a purine analogue. The PBAC considered that the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was unacceptably high and uncertain at the proposed price. 

Mogamulizumab

(Kyowa Kirin)

Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL)To request a Section 100 (Efficient Funding of Chemotherapy) Authority Required (Written) listing for patients with relapsed or refractory CTCL who have been previously treated with at least one prior systemic therapy. The PBAC did not recommend the listing of mogamulizumab for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory CTCL following at least one prior systemic treatment for this condition. The PBAC considered that the extent of benefit for mogamulizumab in terms of progression free survival and overall survival was uncertain. In addition, the PBAC considered the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was unacceptably high and uncertain at the proposed price, and the estimated financial impact was uncertain. 

March 2020 PBAC meeting agenda for lymphoma/CLL & outstanding waiting for action from November 2019

Drug name and sponsor Subtype Listing requested and purpose PBAC outcome
Ibrutinib (Janssen) Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) Resubmission to request PBS reimbursement for the treatment of CLL or SLL with evidence of one or more 17p chromosome deletion PBAC recommended the PBS listing of ibrutinib for first-line treatment with CLL/SLL with deletion 17p –still waiting to be listed, since November 2019
Acalabrutinib (AstraZeneca) Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) To request PBS listing for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory CLL or SLL unsuitable for treatment with a purine analogue PBAC recommended the listing of acalabrutinib for the treatment of patients with R/R CLL/SLL in second line treatment – waiting to be PBS listed since March 2020
Pembrolizumab (MSD) Primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL) Resubmission to request PBS listing for the treatment of relapsed or refractory PMBCL PBAC recommended the PBS listing of pembrolizumab for R/R PMBCL – waiting to be PBS listed since March 2020

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