Exclusive: Australians fighting lung and liver cancer will soon be able to access a life-saving cancer treatment through a simple, seven minute injection.
The nation’s first immunotherapy cancer jab, Tecentriq, is being added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, slashing the cost by more than $100,000 and allowing patients to bypass lengthy infusions in a hospital chair.
Melbourne father Kon Adamis will be one of the first to access it and says it will not only transform his life, but thousands of others too.
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“This will help people tremendously”, he said.
Tecentriq is a drug that activates the immune system to kill cancer cells, but until now it has only been available as a cripplingly expensive infusion.
From tomorrow, the Federal Government is slashing the cost of the injection from $120,000 every year to $133.40 for concession card holders and $547.70 for general patients.
It will also cut treatment time from 60 minutes to seven minutes.
Health Minister Mark Butler says it’s a critical development.
“It’s going to be great for patients, giving them access to this life-saving treatment in a convenient injective form at PBS prices,” Butler said.
“For our hospital systems that are under real stress it’s going to be an enormous relief as well.”
Adamis was given four months to live when diagnosed with an aggressive form of lung cancer in April 2022, but the drug has helped him defy the odds.
“I believe in my heart that this has kept me alive.”
“It is an unknown how things would happen if he were to stop treatment,” according to Kon’s oncologist.
Monash Health Deputy Director of Medical Oncology, Associate Professor Surein Arulananda said the immunotherapy injection will “make a huge difference for patients like Adamis, but also for all patients in Australia living with these diseases”.
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The 69-year-old currently undergoes treatment at Moorabbin Hospital every three weeks, but soon he’ll be able to get his treatment in the comfort of his own home.
Despite his own challenges, he remains positive about the future and even promises to continue dropping flowers to the hospital, to brighten up other patients’ days.
“Whatever comes, comes. We don’t know what’s going on tomorrow.”
While it’s the first time Australia has been able to access an injectable immunotherapy, Minister Butler says it’s just the beginning.
“I’d be very surprised if there weren’t more to come”.
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