Lenalidomide (Revlimid® Celgene), in combination with dexamethasone, has been listed on the PBS for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who are ineligible for stem cell transplant.
Commenting on the new listing, haematologist Professor Miles Prince from the Peter MacCallum Centre said the listing was an important step forward in the fight against myeloma.
“Revlimid, which is available in a capsule, is generally well tolerated and has the potential to be used long-term to help control the disease,” he said in a company press release.
Lenalidomide (Revlimid® Celegene) has been available on the PBS for patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma since 2009.
Other cancer drugs listed this month include ceritinib (Zykadia, Novartis) for the treatment of NSCLC and olaparib (Lynparza, AstraZeneca) for maintenance treatment of platinum-sensitive relapsed high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) linked to the inherited BRCA gene mutation.