From January 1, access to Thrombopoietin Receptor Agonists (TPORAs) became much easier for patients living with Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP).
Since 2020, ITP Australia has advocated for improved treatment access for patients living with Immune Thrombocytopenia, including more accessible access to Thrombopoietin Receptor Agonists (TPORAs), prioritising Australia for Global Clinical Trials and promoting the THANZ Treatment Guidelines.
In June 2022, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) made a recommendation to the Australian Federal Government to make it easier for Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP) patients to receive TPORAs, including NPlate and Revolade.
One of the main issues with these restrictions was requiring patients to undergo a Splenectomy, an irreversible procedure without a guarantee of working. While there is a 60% chance of splenectomy working for ITP Patients putting their ITP into remission, splenectomy is not a cure; for some patients, their ITP relapses after several years.
Since the announcement from the PBAC, ITP Australia, along with our key stakeholders, has been promoting these much-needed changes to patients and clinicians.
ITP Australia is happy to announce that some of the restrictions, with the most notable, have been removed. ITP Patients in Australia are no longer required to undergo a splenectomy before being able to access NPlate or Revolade.
ITP Australia CEO and patient Mrs Danielle Boyle said, “This has been a long process but definitely rewarding.”
“ITP Patients in Australia are finally getting equitable access to TPORAs, just like other patients around the world.”
“We certainly couldn’t have achieved this result without the assistance and guidance from the team at THANZ, who came together to develop the first Australian & New Zealand Treatment Guidelines for those living with the rare disease.”
For more information regarding access to these treatments, please visit the PBS website.
To learn about the treatments that are currently available, visit here.
Read more about the Australia/New Zealand Treatment Guidelines here.