Alan Cadman (Mitchell, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Bernie Banton is a friend and acquaintance of mine also. I think most people in north-western Sydney know Bernie as a fine Australian committed to the cause and carrying the cause for many of his colleagues who suffer this dreadful disease. In Australia we rely on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee to establish which pharmaceuticals should be available and how they should be made available. Members of this House may have sentimental and emotional attachments to particular causes, but it has been the tradition and practice of government after government to refer these decisions to experts, to have experts advise the government and then for the government to finally make the decision as to whether the nation can afford to support a particular product.

The Minister for Health and Ageing, The Hon. Tony Abbott, went on the ABC’s 7.30 Report on 29 August—just a couple of weeks ago—to indicate that the second application by the manufacturers of Alimta, the product that we are speaking about, will get a fair hearing from the PBAC in November at its November meeting. This is the second application made by the firm to have their product recognised. The PBAC is required to consider the clinical effectiveness and the cost benefit and value for money of the proposed medicine as compared to other available treatment. Alimta is listed on the PBS as ‘for locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, after prior platinum-based chemotherapy’.

The PBAC recommended the listing of Alimta for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer as it was shown to be as effective as other therapies that are subsidised for this condition and no more expensive. It is basically for those who are suffering from lung cancer caused by smoking. It may seem unfair that smokers with non-small cell lung cancer receive this drug and others may not. However, not all non-small cell lung cancer is caused by smoking; there are other reasons for the development of non-small cell lung cancer apart from smoking.

Previous submissions to list Alimta for the treatment of pleuromesothelioma were unsuccessful because the effectiveness of this drug in the treatment of the condition has not at this point been demonstrated. It is going to come before the PBAC in November, and the company will be putting the case to the panel of experts that we rely on to assess these things. At this point the expert body can make another assessment of whether this particular product combined with other drugs is going to be successful or not. I think in the first demonstration it was shown that on its own it was not successful, but overseas it has been used with other products and in that instance has been proven, so the company says, to be successful. The company has made it public that the new submission will be going forward, and I know that the committee will be considering it.

Up to $42 billion will be provided by the government to states and territories over the next five years to support medical and health programs, and it has been chosen by the Western Australian government to pick up the cost of this product. The Commonwealth, if it is so indicated, will be able to consider the report of the committee when it comes forward with its recommendations approximately six weeks after the November meeting. I know that for many people involved with mesothelioma time is a critical factor. Whilst delays are to be regretted, the decision is only weeks away, not years away. The government will at that time, with proper advice and under proper consideration, be able to give advice to all sufferers and families of sufferers.

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