PBS should fund drug to treat breast cancer, endometriosis and gender dysphoria, experts recommend
Summary
Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) advisory committee recommends funding the drug triptorelin to treat breast cancer, endometriosis, and gender dysphoria. This follows AstraZeneca’s decision to stop selling a similar drug, Zoladex, and aims to ensure patients have access to hormone-blocking treatments.Key Facts
- AstraZeneca will remove the drug Zoladex from the market, affecting over 7,500 women with breast cancer.
- The PBS committee suggests funding triptorelin, already used for prostate cancer, for broader uses without restrictions.
- Both drugs block hormones like oestrogen and testosterone, which are important in treating cancer, endometriosis, and gender dysphoria.
- Funding triptorelin would make gender-affirming care for transgender children federally supported for the first time in Australia.
- Some states, like Queensland and the Northern Territory, have banned or restricted gender-affirming hormone treatments for children.
- The listing may reduce costs from about $3,000 a year to $300 a year for private patients.
- Medical experts and advocacy groups support the recommendation as it improves access to essential treatments.
- More research is needed to confirm how well triptorelin works compared to Zoladex, especially for treating pain related to endometriosis.
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