Thousands of Australians with osteoporosis will now have access to a game-changing and affordable treatment after the drug Evenity was added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
It treats the condition by building new bone and slowing the deterioration of what’s already there.
Previously, it had only been available through the PBS for patients who had endured two painful and dangerous fractures.
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“Without PBS listing, you’re up for about $5000 every course of treatment,” Health Minister Mark Butler said.
But now, Evenity can be accessed as a frontline treatment by anyone with the condition from the point of diagnosis.
Dr Tony Roberts, an osteoporosis specialist, emphasised the importance of early intervention to prevent severe complications.
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“If you break your hip, you have about a one in four chance of potentially dying due to the causality of the hip fracture and associated complications,” he said.
Two-thirds of Australians aged over 50 have poor bone health.
It’s thought more than 9000 of them will benefit every year from the listing of the drug.
This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.