A late stage bowel cancer drug has again failed to win a public subsidy following another rejection by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC).
For the sixth time, drug maker Merck Serono has had its bid to have Erbitux (cetuximab) listed on the PBS knocked back by the committee, according to records of its July meeting released today.
Approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration in December last year for the treatment of advanced metastatic colorectal cancer, a public subsidy for Erbitux was rejected by PBAC on the basis of "high and uncertain cost effectiveness".
The committee also rejected claims by the drug maker that treatment with Erbitux together with irinotecan was superior to Erbitux alone.
The July meeting of the PBAC also rejected an application for the listing of Botox (botulinum toxin A) to be extended for the treatment of upper limbs spasticity in adults with multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury.
The committee did, however, approve of a public subsidy for antiplatelet drug Effient (prasugrel hydrochloride), on the basis of "acceptable cost effectiveness" compared with its popular competitor clopidogrel, marketed as Plavix and Iscover.
Sutent (sunitinib malate), an anti-cancer drug indicated for the treatment of gastrointestinal tumours, was also approved for public subsidy by the committee, "on the basis of high clinical need and a high but acceptable cost-effectiveness ratio compared with best supportive care".