Blockbuster hope hits Sept agenda

An expected blockbuster is back on the PBAC agenda after being marked 'not applicable' in the last meeting to await a TGA decision, even though that decision is yet to be made.

Vertex's new once-daily cystic fibrosis treatment Alyftrek, otherwise known as the 'Vanza triple', is expected to be one of the largest drugs launched this year, with Evaluate forecasting global annual sales of US$$8.3 billion in 2030.

It's eagerly awaited by patients, with Cystic Fibrosis Australia lobbying hard to get the drug PBS-listed in Australia. Vertex submitted to the TGA and PBAC under parallel processing, and the PBAC marked the submission at the July meeting as "not applicable", saying "a PBAC recommendation cannot be made public until the TGA outcome is known".