Publication date:
September 1, 2022
Support type:
Media release
Audience:
general public
Life-changing treatment for chronic kidney disease will be made available to thousands of Australians through an expansion of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) list.
The drug is the first new treatment added to the PBS in more than 20 years for Australians living with proteinuric chronic kidney disease and thousands of Australians could benefit from the subsidized list each year.
Without a subsidy, patients could pay more than $700 a year for dapagliflozin (Forxiga®). Now, it will cost $42.50 per script, or just $6.80 for people with a concession card.
Chronic kidney disease is a silent disease and affected people can lose up to 90% of their kidney function before noticeable symptoms appear.
Already used to treat diabetes and heart failure, dapagliflozin treats chronic kidney disease by blocking a protein in the kidney.
This allows blood sugar, salt and water to be removed from the body through urine, which slows the progression of the disease.
The Australian Government will extend the PBS listing of dapagliflozin from 1 September 2022.
Chronic kidney disease is estimated to cost the Australian health system approximately $5.1 billion annually and access to dapagliflozin will help reduce the risk of progressive decline in kidney function.
Attributed to Deputy Minister McCarthy:
“The Albanian government is dedicated to ensuring Australians have access to affordable medicines and this list alone will benefit an average of 45,000 Australians each year.
“Chronic kidney disease has a huge physical, social and economic cost in First Nations communities, with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people twice as likely to suffer from the disease.
“The grant of this life-changing treatment is a step in the right direction and a great addition to Labor First Nations’ ambitious health agenda.”