PBS listing of triptorelin as alternative to Zoladex for breast cancer, endometriosis, and gender dysphoria
Consensus Summary
The federal government is considering listing triptorelin on the PBS as an alternative to Zoladex, a drug AstraZeneca announced it would remove from the market in November. Both sources confirm that the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) recommended the listing after an urgent meeting in June or July, citing concerns over access for breast cancer and endometriosis patients. The ABC highlights the personal impact on patients like Katie Thorpe, who had an oophorectomy at the end of June after Zoladex’s removal was announced, while the Guardian expands the scope to include gender-affirming care for transgender children, noting Queensland and the Northern Territory’s bans on such treatments. The Guardian also reports that the PBS listing would reduce costs for private prescriptions and potentially override state bans, though the effectiveness of triptorelin for endometriosis remains uncertain. Both articles emphasize the government’s commitment to listing PBAC-recommended drugs, with the ABC focusing on AstraZeneca’s price concerns and the Guardian on broader equity issues for marginalized groups.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- AstraZeneca announced it would pull Zoladex from the PBS and private market in November
- The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) recommended listing triptorelin on the PBS for breast cancer, endometriosis, and gender-affirming care
- Triptorelin has been PBS-listed since 2006 (for prostate cancer)
- The federal government is committed to listing all medications recommended by PBAC
- The PBS listing for triptorelin would provide a long-term treatment solution for breast cancer and endometriosis patients
- Zoladex and triptorelin both suppress ovarian hormone production (oestrogen) to treat breast cancer and endometriosis
- The PBAC meeting was urgently convened in June (ABC) and July (Guardian) in response to AstraZeneca’s announcement
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Katie Thorpe, 35, has metastatic breast cancer and had been on Zoladex since 2018, and had an oophorectomy at the end of June
- AstraZeneca initially offered a temporary access program for Zoladex before announcing its removal in November
- Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) Director of Policy and Advocacy Vicki Durston emphasized the need to avoid a two-tiered model where pharmaceutical companies control access
- CEO of advocacy group So Brave Rachelle Panitz described the last couple of months as incredibly challenging for breast cancer patients
- Zoladex was described as a key part of keeping Katie Thorpe’s cancer from progressing, and its removal ‘cemented’ her decision to have surgery
- The ABC revealed AstraZeneca’s withdrawal plans in June, citing the Australian price for Zoladex as unsustainably low
- The PBS listing of triptorelin would fund treatment for thousands of women with breast cancer or endometriosis, and children with gender dysphoria
- Queensland banned public hospitals from prescribing drugs for gender-affirming care to transgender children in January, affecting more than 491 patients on the waitlist at the state’s gender clinic
- The Northern Territory imposed a similar ban in response to Queensland’s decision
- The health minister, Tim Nicholls, extended Queensland’s ban to at least 2031, pending findings from a UK trial
- Triptorelin is prescribed off-label for gender-affirming care and is not approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for that use
- The expanded PBS coverage for triptorelin would take effect in November
- The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Victorian state chair, Marilla Druitt, noted that triptorelin’s effectiveness for endometriosis and pelvic pain remains to be seen
- The Brisbane GP Fiona Bisshop stated that PBS listing would reduce the cost of private prescribing from about $3,000 a year to $300
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The ABC states AstraZeneca’s withdrawal announcement was revealed in June, while the Guardian does not specify a month for the PBAC’s urgent meeting, only that it occurred in July
- The ABC mentions AstraZeneca’s temporary access program for Zoladex, which the Guardian does not reference
- The Guardian states the PBAC meeting was held in July, while the ABC does not specify a month for the PBAC meeting, only that it was urgently convened out of session
- The Guardian notes that triptorelin’s effectiveness for endometriosis and pelvic pain is unclear, while the ABC states it is equivalent to Zoladex for breast cancer and endometriosis
Source Articles
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Women with breast cancer who were left languishing in PBS drug uncertainty have been offered a lifeline.
PBS should fund drug to treat breast cancer, endometriosis and gender dysphoria, experts recommend
Triptorelin, already listed for prostate cancer, should have unrestricted use, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee says Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The federal government should fund treatment for thousands of women with breast cancer or endometriosis, and children with gender dysphoria, according to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme’s advisory committee. The committee met urgently in July in response to AstraZeneca’s announcement it would remove Zola