Have your say!
Two new drugs are being considered for use in treating Upper Gastrointestinal cancers. Individuals with cancer and their families are invited to share their experiences for consideration at the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) meeting in May 2025.
Your insights and experiences can help inform decisions about these new treatments. PBAC is an independent expert body appointed by the Australian Government. Members include doctors, health professionals, health economists and consumer representatives. Their primary role is to recommend new medicines for listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
When recommending a medicine for listing, the PBAC takes into account the conditions for which the medicine was registered for use in Australia, how effective it is, how safe it is and if it provides value for money compared with other treatments.
Sharing your experience can help PBAC members make decisions on what is most important to people impacted by the disease. The kind of insights the PBAC want to hear about are how cancer and your current treatment has affected your life and how the possibility of another treatment may impact it. Both people diagnosed and their families are invited to submit comments.
What therapies are being considered?
- Durvalumab (Imfinzi® ) in combination with tremelimumab (Imjudo® ) for the first line treatment of patients with advanced (unresectable) Stage B BCLC or Stage C liver cancer.
- Trastuzumab Deruxtecan (Enhertu®) for the treatment of metastatic human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) gastric or gastroesophageal junction (G/GOJ) cancer following trastuzumab therapy.
What should I include in my submission?
As a guide, you should include your lived experience on what it’s like to live with cancer and the realities of current treatments available. You don’t need to give general information about the type of cancer or any clinical data on the therapy.
If you have had the opportunity to receive the above treatments that are being considered, you should focus on the difference that the treatment has made for you. For example:
- the impact on quality of life and ability to undertake normal activities
- the effect on family and work
- the financial impact of cancer and treatment
- how it compares to other treatments you have had – e.g. side effects, differences in administration of treatment.
If you are a family member or someone living with cancer you should focus on what accessing the treatment would mean to you or your loved one.
For example:
- What differences the treatment will make to your loved one – e.g. enhanced quality of life, ability to return to work, witness special family occasions, additional survival time.
- How would positively impact you in your role as a family member? E.g. give you more time with your loved one
How to submit your comments
Consultation is now open and closes on 26 March 2025. You can submit your comments:
- Via online survey – available here
- By sharing your experience with Pancare Foundation, which we will incorporate into our submission. Contact Sue Hegarty, Head Support and Advocacy ([email protected]) by 23 March 2025.
Where to get additional help
We understand that making a PBAC comment can be challenging and we encourage you to get in touch with the PanSupport team PH: 1300 881 698 (Mon – Fri, 9am – 5pm AEST). if you need support with your submission. If you have questions about if this treatment could be suitable for you please speak to your treating team.
Patient Voice Initiative has a range of tools and resources that can help explain the PBAC process and provide you with tips on how to share your lived experience. You may find the following resources helpful:
Do’s and don’ts when making a PBAC Consumer Comment – Patient Voice Initiative
Read more . . .
