At the upcoming Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) meeting in July, there will be two submissions made relating to drugs that are used to treat myeloma, namely daratumumab and carfilzomib.
Daratumumab (Darzalex®)
- A resubmission to request daratumumab to be used in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone as a second-line therapy
Carfilzomib (Kyprolis®)
- An minor submission to allow a weekly dosing regimen of 70 mg/m2 carfilzomib and dexamethasone.
The PBAC makes recommendations to the government about which myeloma treatments (and in which combination) will be reimbursed by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and available to Australians with myeloma, both present and future. It is therefore vitally important that we at Myeloma Australia, our Medical and Scientific Advisory Group (MSAG) and the myeloma community make comment as to how important it is these additions and changes be made.
For each of these MSAG will provide a submission from the ‘medical perspective’ and Myeloma Australia will provide a submission from the perspective of the Australian myeloma community. The pharmaceutical company will provide data from clinical trials about the effectiveness of these combinations.
As an individual with myeloma, a carer, a friend or a relative it is important that your voice be heard when these decisions are being made. The regulators need to hear your story, how myeloma has impacted your life and why having these myeloma treatments available is so important to you! Please share specific examples if you can.
Please provide your comments through one of the following ways before Wednesday June 10th.
- Online: For the online submission form click here
- Mail: PBAC Secretariat, MDP 952, Department of Health and Ageing, GPO Box 9848, ACT, 2601
- Fax: 02 6289 4175. Attention PBAC Secretariat
The outcomes of the meeting will be available on the PBAC website approximately six weeks after the meeting, we will keep you updated through our e-newsletter The Myeloma Muster.
Should you have any questions please call one of our Myeloma Support Nurses on 1800 693 566 or email nurses@myeloma.org.au
Myeloma Australia Nurse Managers
Hayley Beer & Nella Combe
