PBS listings on the way for angina and FH drugs

Ischaemic heart disease

27 Apr 2018

The angina drug ranozaline has been recommended to be listed on the PBS as add-on therapy for the symptomatic treatment of stable angina pectoris.

At its March 2018 meeting the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) recommended the Section 85 Authority Required (Telephone) listing of ranolazine.

In its decision, the committee said there was an unmet clinical need in patients with stable angina whose symptoms are not controlled by a beta-blocker or a calcium channel blocker, where revascularisation is not an option and haemodynamic concerns limit other anti-anginal treatment options.

The PBAC also recommended extending the PBS listing for the cholesterol-lowering monoclonal antibody treatment  evolocumab (Repatha) for patients with Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH) to include patients with heterozygous FH.

The decision was in response to an application from sponsor Amgen for an extended indication for the PCSK9 blocking subcutaneous agent to include treatment of patients with very high LDL-C or symptomatic atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

The PBAC said it accepted that both the heterozygous and homozygous FH populations are high risk, and that the use of evolocumab could be extended to include the heterozygous population as it would be an effective and safe therapy following failed treatment with statins and ezetimibe.

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