“Listing these medicines on the Life Saving Drugs Program will save lives, save heartache and save patients hundreds of thousands of dollars a year," said health minister Mark Butler.
Mr Butler was announcing the addition of Sanofi's CERDELGA (eliglustat) and Alexion's KANUMA (sebelipase alfa) to the LSDP.
CERDELGA is an oral therapy for the treatment of Gaucher disease. It is funded for people aged 18 years and over who have had 12 months prior treatment with one of the three other enzyme replacement therapies for Gaucher disease (Type 1) listed on the LSDP, all of which require infusion.
KANUMA is the first effective treatment discovered for infantile-onset lysosomal acid lipase deficiency, or LAL-D. Without the treatment, babies born with this condition would not survive more than 12 months.
“Australia is one of the first countries in the world to subsidise KANUMA. Parents will no longer have to watch their baby born with LAL-D grow sicker, or literally spend a fortune to buy this drug," said Mr Butler.
“The listing of CERDELGA will also provide great relief for adults with Gaucher disease type 1, who will be able to take a capsule and get on with their lives instead of going to hospital for an infusion.”