A new treatment for endometriosis and two other drugs will be made cheaper to improve thousands of Australian women’s lives, starting later this year.
About 8,500 Australian women are expected to benefit annually when Ryeqo is listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) on May 1.
The drug is a new endometriosis treatment option for people who have experienced moderate to severe pain and cannot get adequate relief from other hormonal treatments and painkillers, the federal government said in a statement on Sunday.
About one in seven Australian women suffer from endometriosis, where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows elsewhere in the body, affecting fertility and causing debilitating pain. Symptoms are variable and contribute to an average delay in diagnosis of six-and-a-half years, according to Endometriosis Australia.
New subsidies will also cut the costs of a progestogen-only contraceptive pill and an IVF hormone therapy.
Women with low levels of specific hormones will be able to access Pergoveris for $32 per treatment cycle from their first IVF cycle, rather than having to wait for multiple failures. Each unsubsidised cycle costs about $3,500.
These listings would improve the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of Australian women, Health Minister Mark Butler said.
“Women have asked government to take their health care seriously, and we have listened,” he said.
“These listings could save women and their families thousands of dollars across their lifetimes.”
He dismissed criticism about delayed action after a government advisory committee recommended in March 2024 that Ryeqo be added to the subsidy scheme.
“They’ve all been dealt with expeditiously,” Butler told Weekend Today.
“Over the nine years of (the coalition) government, not a single new pill, not a single endometriosis treatment, not a single menopause treatment (was added).”
The opposition said it was not good enough to leave women waiting for more than a year for “potentially life-changing medications”.
“Prioritising women’s health remains a top priority of the coalition, as we remain strongly committed to our longstanding policy of listing all PBAC-recommended medicines on the PBS, and in a timely manner,” opposition health spokeswoman Senator Anne Ruston said.
Contraception’s also expected to get cheaper. (Source: Getty Images)
The price of a contraceptive pill used by about 80,000 women will also be slashed. Under the PBS, the annual cost of Slinda will drop from about $320 to about $94 for general patients or $22 for concession card holders.
The absence of estrogen in the pill makes it particularly suitable for older women, smokers, women at increased risk of blood clots and those who suffer migraine attacks.
Earlier this month, the Yaz and Yasmin were also listed on the PBS, marking the first new pill added to the scheme in over 30 years. The move is expected to help around 50,000 women each year.
Lead image: iStock
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