PBAC have advised they will consider Trikafta for those aged 6 to 11 at the November meeting. Consultations are now open.
Have your say
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) have advised they will consider Trikafta who are aged 6 to 11 years and who have at least one F508del gene change on the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene.
Consultations are now open and the PBAC welcomes input from patients, carers, health professionals, consumer groups or organisations and members of the public.
The consultation window closes on the 21 September 2022.
Provide input into the PBAC consultation
What happens after the PBAC meeting?
PBAC’s main role is to recommend new medicines for listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). No new medicine can be listed unless the Committee makes a positive recommendation. After the November meeting the PBAC can:
- Recommend Trikafta® be listed on the PBS, or
- Defer their decision and consider it again at a later meeting, or
- Reject the application for Trikafta® to be listed on the PBS
We expect to hear the outcome of the November PBAC meeting in December.
We are hoping that the PBAC will recommend Trikafta® be listed on the PBS. However, if they defer or reject the application we will continue to advocate for it to be recommended for listing.
If PBAC recommend Trikafta® be listed on the PBS, it can take several months to negotiate the final agreement between Vertex and the Australian Government.
What is Trikafta®?
Elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor, or Trikafta®, is a type of medication known as a CFTR modulator. CFTR modulators work differently to other medications for CF. They work by correcting the malfunctioning protein that causes CF. In doing so, these medications directly address the cause of CF, rather than just the symptoms. They are not a cure, but they help the body’s cells to function more normally.
Trikafta® is a triple combination therapy. It has three active ingredients, elexacaftor, tezacaftor and ivacaftor. Elexacaftor and tezacaftor help the F508del-CFTR protein change to the correct shape, move to the surface of the cell and stay there longer. Ivacaftor then helps to open the channel so that chloride can flow in and out of the cells.
READ MORE ABOUT CFTR MODULATORS
