Vertex has reimburseed Cystic Fibrosis Medicines Symdeko for patients ages 12 and Older, and Orkambi in children ages 2 to 5, with certain CFTR mutations in Australia.
LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ: VRTX) today announced that SYMDEKO® (tezacaftor/ivacaftor and ivacaftor) is reimbursed in Australia for people with cystic fibrosis (CF) ages 12 years and older who are homozygous for the F508del mutation or who have one copy of the F508del mutation and another responsive residual function (RF) mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. People with CF who have one copy of the F508del mutation and another responsive RF mutation in the CFTR gene will have access to a medicine for the cause of their CF for the first time. In addition, ORKAMBI® (lumacaftor/ivacaftor) is now also reimbursed for the treatment of children with CF ages 2 to 5 who have two copies of the F508del mutation in the CFTR gene. Patients over the age of 6 have already been able to access ORKAMBI® in Australia since October 2018.
Following previously received positive recommendations from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC), eligible patients in Australia will be able to access both medicines immediately, and the medicines will be listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from December 1st.
“We are pleased that SYMDEKO® and ORKAMBI® will be made available immediately to eligible cystic fibrosis patients in Australia. We appreciate that the PBAC has recognized the value of these medicines to patients and thank the Department of Health and the Minister for Health in Australia for their strong engagement and collaboration to finalize the agreement,” said Ludovic Fenaux, Senior Vice President, Vertex International.
Vertex’s CF medicines are reimbursed in 17 countries around the world including Austria, Denmark, Germany, the Republic of Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and the U.S.