For many years we’ve heard from young women diagnosed with HER2 positive early stage breast cancer in our community about the decision to take an additional medication on top of the recommended chemotherapy. For those who are offered, the first treatment cost $6000 which for some meant dipping into their superannuation if they were able to or borrowing from friends and family or from their savings.
As the pharmaceutical benefits advisory committee discussion about this listing drew closer, we heard more stories from our young women in the public system who had never even been offered this as an opportunity for treatment.
These inequities and so many more within our healthcare system are only changed through the efforts of advocacy. That is why PBAC’s announcement last Thursday recommending that the pharmaceutical benefits scheme list the drug Perjeta in early stage HER2+ breast cancer was such an important moment for our community.
This is really encouraging news and one that we’ll keep fighting for, so stay tuned.
Advocacy Breakthrough: Breast Cancer Drug Perjeta Recommended to Be Listed on PBS After Years of Inequity
