During the November 2022 Pharmaceutical Advisory Committee (PBAC) meeting, Avatrombopag was tabled for chronic ITP Patients.

Through the advocacy of ITP Australia and leading ITP Clinicians, the new treatment from Sobi (Swedish Orphan Biovitrum Pty Ltd), was recommended by the committee for chronic ITP patients (12+ months).

The recommendation stated

“The PBAC recommended the Section 100 (Highly Specialised Drugs Program – Public and Private Hospital), Authority Required listing of Avatrombopag for the treatment of severe thrombocytopenia in patients with chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP).

The PBAC’s recommendation for listing was based on, among other matters, its assessment that the cost-effectiveness of Avatrombopag would be acceptable if it were cost-minimised to eltrombopag.

The PBAC considered there was uncertain but acceptable clinical evidence of non-inferiority to Eltrombopag, and a moderate unmet clinical need for those patients for whom eltrombopag and romiplostim are unsuitable.

The PBAC considered the equi-effective doses to be Avatrombopag 22.34 mg daily = Eltrombopag 55.2 mg daily.

The PBAC recommended flow-on changes to the restriction criteria for eltrombopag and romiplostim would be required to allow for switching to Avatrombopag.”

This is the second recommendation from the PBAC this year, with the first being the removal of restrictions to accessing Thrombopoietin Receptor Agonists (TPO-RAs), which were announced in June 2022.

There are still several steps to take before Avatrombopag is available to patients in Australia; it’s definitely a step in the right direction, ensuring that patients living with the rare and, at times, chronic disease have access to as many treatments as possible.

To learn about the treatments that are currently available, visit here.

Read more about the Australia/New Zealand Treatment Guidelines here.

View the November 2022 – PBAC Outcomes here.