The federal government will for the first time share the costs of an alternative treatment for two common but debilitating illnesses that impact more than 175,000 Aussies.
Australians will now find it easier to access a medication that patient advocates hope could be a gamechanger for people with severe rheumatic disease.
The federal government on Friday began subsidising the cost of a new drug that may help rheumatic disease sufferers for whom the conventional anti-inflammatory medicine Methotrexate hasn’t worked.
RINVOQ has been listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for the first time, for eligible adults with severe active cases of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) or ankylosing spondylitis (AS).
An estimated 177,520 people in Australia live with PsA or AS, progressive conditions that trigger painful immune system flare ups that attack joints from the inside.
The drug, manufactured by pharmaceutical company AbbVie, regulates overactive immune systems, working within the body’s cells to block certain signals that are thought to cause inflammation.
AS mainly affects the spine and typically develops when patients are young, between the ages of 15-40.
But it can take years for patients to obtain a diagnosis, with studies suggesting there is a high mental health burden for younger patients as a result of the reduced quality of life and the impact of their condition on their social life and relationships.
Musculoskeletal Australia chief executive officer Rob Anderson said many people had to cycle between treatments in order to control their symptoms and that more treatment options were welcome.
“These conditions typically affect individuals during their prime years and have a profound impact on work, social and family life, and mental health,” the patient advocate said.
“Due to the progressive nature of these inflammatory conditions, it takes ongoing management to help alleviate symptoms and to avoid permanent disability.”
