YERVOY will be reimbursed in Australia for eligible patients from 1 August 2013.
The approved indication is as follows:
YERVOY will be reimbursed on the PBS as monotherapy for unresectable Stage III or Stage IV malignant melanoma at a maximum dose of 3 mg per kg every 3 weeks for a total of 4 doses for:
a. induction treatment (no prior YERVOY treatment)
b. re-induction treatment for patients who have progressive disease after achieving an initial objective response to the most recent course of YERVOY prior to or following 1 August 2013
c. completion of induction or re-induction treatment for patients whose treatment on YERVOY commenced prior to 1 August 2013 (“grandfathered” patients).
Reimbursement on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) means that eligible patients will pay $36.10 or $5.90 (concessional rate) for each infusion. As you know, the recommended course of YERVOY treatment is four infusions so a patient would pay $144.40 for the full recommended course (or $23.60 at the concessional rate).