Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you for that question. Recently, we have announced that we will make a medication for severe inflammatory spinal arthritis more affordable when we list it on the PBS, saving patients more than $15,000 a year. Almost 4,000 patients across the country who suffer from active non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis will benefit when Simponi becomes available on the PBS on 1 December.

Last week, in your home state, Senator Brockman, the Minister for Health, Mr Hunt, met with Casey Brown, a Western Australian Football League footballer from Subiaco who has benefited from Simponi. Mr Brown, you will be happy to know, is now back up and running again, thanks to the listing of this drug. He told TheWest Australian:

"I was waking up real stiff and sore, and could barely get out of bed …

"I had an MRI and it came up with a heap of inflammation on my hip, in one of the joints."

"It was my first year at Subi, so it wasn't ideal. But I'm back running now, so I'm pretty much 100 per cent."

Isn't that great news?