This breast cancer drug used to cost $3700 a month. From today it will be much cheaper
Getting a drug that worked with standard hormone therapy to reduce the chances of cancer returning 'felt like hitting the jackpot,' she says, and helped to reduce the nagging sensation 'that the Grim Reaper had his hand resting on the back of my shoulder'.
From July 1, one such drug, ribociclib, sold as Kisqali, will be available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for women in the initial stages of the most common types of early breast cancer – hormone receptor positive (HR+) or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (HER2-) – and who are deemed at high risk of recurrence because their cancer involves lymph nodes.
The drug is part of a class that targets proteins, known as CDK4/6 inhibitors, involved with division of cancer cells, effectively slowing them down or stopping them from dividing.
The global, multi-centre randomised trial, NATALEE, whose findings are published in the New England Journal of Medicine found adding Kisqali to standard endocrine therapy for early breast cancer patients reduced recurrence risk by 28.5 per cent compared with hormone therapy alone.
Loading
The NATALEE trial involved 5,101 patients with HR+/HER2- early breast cancer – which accounts for 70-80 per cent of patients – who were randomly assigned to receive either Kisqali plus hormone therapy or only hormone therapy for three years.
Austin Health and Olivia Newton John Cancer Research Institute oncologist Dr Belinda Yeo said the decision to make Kisqali available to suitable early breast cancer patients would broaden options for treatment intended to cure them.
It could be difficult with early breast cancer to discern 'when and to whom' it would return, Yeo said, 'so in the Goldilocks zone of trying to get the right treatment for the right patients, the more options the better'.
She described the types of cancer it helps prevent returning as the 'garden varieties', which about 70 per cent of early breast cancer patients have. Around 21,000 people, the vast majority of them women, were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024.
Dr Sally Baron-Hay, an Australian NATALEE phase two study investigator, said it was great to have another treatment option for early breast cancer patients with high-risk cancer involving multiple lymph nodes, but said not all patients at high risk would be eligible.
'My hope is that all my early breast cancer patients at high risk of cancer recurrence, regardless of how many lymph nodes the cancer has involved, will have access to Kisqali in the future,' she said.
Kirsten Pilatti, chief executive of the Breast Cancer Network Australia (which accepts no funding from pharmaceutical companies), said the organisation supported the listing of Kisqali on the PBS.
Before the listing of Kisqali, women with non-metastatic breast cancer could not access the drug without paying $3,700 a month for three years, which some patients do via crowdfunding.
Its listing was important because it ensured equity of care, regardless of patients' ability to pay for costly medications privately.
'It is important so we don't have a two-tiered system where only people who can afford it have the benefits,' she said.
'It means more options for precision medicine for oncologists to choose from, for all Australians, regardless of your postcode.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
an hour ago
- West Australian
Cancer Council WA encourages Great Southern people to sign up for Dry July fundraiser for free support line
Cancer Council WA is encouraging people in the Great Southern to quit alcohol for a month and pick up a hot drink for this year's Dry July fundraiser. In a bid to raise crucial funds for the 13 11 20 Cancer Information and Support Line, a free Australian service, the Cancer Council WA encourages Great Southerners to sign up for Dry July 2025. Helping more than 37,000 Australians last year, the number provides a free confidential service by experienced cancer nurses providing emotional and practical support in coping with treatment and side effects as well as end of life. There's also advice on risk reduction and early detection. Cancer Council WA's Great Southern education officer Bruce Beamish said Dry July was a great way to raise funds for an important cause that supported nearly 5800 people Statewide in 2024. 'This service is not government-funded, it is funded through the generosity of donors and fundraisers,' he said. 'The service connects West Australians with relevant support, information and resources to help them through their cancer journey.' Mr Beamish said that participating in Dry July also yielded a range of health benefits. 'Going dry for July is a great opportunity to look at how you can reduce your overall alcohol use,' he said. 'Alcohol is a cause of cancer, research shows that every year more than 3500 cases of cancer can be attributed to alcohol use, such as mouth, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, liver, bowel and breast cancer in women. 'There is no safe level of alcohol use, as any level increases the risk of developing an alcohol-caused cancer. The more you drink, and the more often you drink, the greater your risk. 'To reduce your cancer risk, reduce your drinking.' To sign up to Dry July visit and for more information about the Cancer Council's support services, visit or call 13 11 20.
Sky News AU
3 hours ago
- Sky News AU
More than three million Aussies to pocket about $277 this Dry July, research from comparison site Finder has revealed
Australians doing Dry July will not only improve the health of their liver but also their bank balances to the tune of $277, new research has revealed. Comparison site Finder has found that 20 per cent of Australian drinkers are cutting out grog this month for the annual Dry July sobriety run. With the average drinker forking out $69.40 per week on alcohol, according to Finder, the total savings will hit $277 for the month. The research found the weekly average spend on alcohol was down 35 per cent from $108.20 a year ago as cumulative cost of living pressures force Aussies to cut back on drinking. Finder's head of consumer research Graham Cooke said Dry July was a 'great opportunity' for Aussies to reset their financial habits alongside their health habits. 'Many Aussies don't realise how much money quietly disappears on drinks out with friends or a quiet bottle of wine in the evening,' Mr Cooke said. 'Cutting out alcohol for a month can easily save you hundreds of dollars – that's money that could go towards paying down debt, building your emergency fund or simply boosting your savings. 'Not only that, but your liver will start to repair itself after a couple of weeks – so the longer you stay off the booze, the better. 'It's great that it's becoming more acceptable to say no to a drink. Choosing to skip alcohol, whether for health or for financial reasons, doesn't mean you have to skip the fun.' Finder's research showed a whopping 3.2 million Aussies will take part in Dry July this year. That will put $886m back into the pockets of everyday Australians if all successfully complete the challenge. About 11 per cent of respondents to Finder's survey said they were completing Dry July for the first time while nine per cent said they had done it previously. The savings comes as alcohol inflation has continued to surge over the past year. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistic showed the price of beer rose 4.5 per cent and the price of spirits jumped four per cent for the year up to March 2025. Alcohol and tobacco rose 6.5 per cent over 12 months while prices jumped 1.2 per cent in the March quarter.
The Advertiser
7 hours ago
- The Advertiser
AI gives birth to fresh hope against male infertility
Artificial Intelligence is could make all the difference for would-be parents undergoing IVF who are struggling with the most severe forms of male infertility. The first Australian study of new technology has led to one live birth and five pregnancies in 12 months among 35 couples who would previously be considered infertile. "These are the most difficult cases that we see at an IVF clinic, so it's very motivating to be able to help people that in a normal world, naturally would never ever be able to have their own children," IVF Australia embryologist Dale Goss told AAP. "It's great to see translation from a science project essentially a few years ago and a proof of concept into something that's delivered in the clinic and actually see a healthy baby boy born." The NeoGenix Biosciences employee presented the findings from the first AI SpermSearch clinical study to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology conference in Paris overnight. The system works by searching for the best sperm in semen samples taken from biopsies, offering embryologists another tool to select the most appropriate sperm to be used in IVF. Mr Gross said embryologists could often spend up to six hours looking for enough of the right tiny swimmers but the technology was shown to reduce search times by 75 per cent. "We found that our reducing the time to search, we were able to get through more samples, find more sperm and give these patients a better chance at having their own biological children," he said. The technology was given early access approval for research purposes at Sydney-based Virtus Health but Mr Goss hopes it could be approved for wider use across Australia by the end of the year. About 16 per cent of couples struggle with fertility, according to Family Planning NSW, while 1 in 18 babies in Australia are born through IVF each year. NSW couple Marcela and Rowan Moon experienced infertility until tests confirmed Mr Moon's semen had no sperm because of a genetic condition. "When they told us that Rowan was infertile I thought 'oh my God I can't have a child with Rowan being the father biologically' and then they said 'no, it's not like that, we can still do it'," Ms Moon said. Mr Moon had a biopsy as a day procedure and doctors took a sample, which was then used to create embryos. The first transfer was hailed a success and the couple later welcomed son Leo. "We were so lucky to get Leo first off the bat ... I don't think we really realised the rollercoaster that it was going to be," Mr Moon said. Artificial Intelligence is could make all the difference for would-be parents undergoing IVF who are struggling with the most severe forms of male infertility. The first Australian study of new technology has led to one live birth and five pregnancies in 12 months among 35 couples who would previously be considered infertile. "These are the most difficult cases that we see at an IVF clinic, so it's very motivating to be able to help people that in a normal world, naturally would never ever be able to have their own children," IVF Australia embryologist Dale Goss told AAP. "It's great to see translation from a science project essentially a few years ago and a proof of concept into something that's delivered in the clinic and actually see a healthy baby boy born." The NeoGenix Biosciences employee presented the findings from the first AI SpermSearch clinical study to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology conference in Paris overnight. The system works by searching for the best sperm in semen samples taken from biopsies, offering embryologists another tool to select the most appropriate sperm to be used in IVF. Mr Gross said embryologists could often spend up to six hours looking for enough of the right tiny swimmers but the technology was shown to reduce search times by 75 per cent. "We found that our reducing the time to search, we were able to get through more samples, find more sperm and give these patients a better chance at having their own biological children," he said. The technology was given early access approval for research purposes at Sydney-based Virtus Health but Mr Goss hopes it could be approved for wider use across Australia by the end of the year. About 16 per cent of couples struggle with fertility, according to Family Planning NSW, while 1 in 18 babies in Australia are born through IVF each year. NSW couple Marcela and Rowan Moon experienced infertility until tests confirmed Mr Moon's semen had no sperm because of a genetic condition. "When they told us that Rowan was infertile I thought 'oh my God I can't have a child with Rowan being the father biologically' and then they said 'no, it's not like that, we can still do it'," Ms Moon said. Mr Moon had a biopsy as a day procedure and doctors took a sample, which was then used to create embryos. The first transfer was hailed a success and the couple later welcomed son Leo. "We were so lucky to get Leo first off the bat ... I don't think we really realised the rollercoaster that it was going to be," Mr Moon said. Artificial Intelligence is could make all the difference for would-be parents undergoing IVF who are struggling with the most severe forms of male infertility. The first Australian study of new technology has led to one live birth and five pregnancies in 12 months among 35 couples who would previously be considered infertile. "These are the most difficult cases that we see at an IVF clinic, so it's very motivating to be able to help people that in a normal world, naturally would never ever be able to have their own children," IVF Australia embryologist Dale Goss told AAP. "It's great to see translation from a science project essentially a few years ago and a proof of concept into something that's delivered in the clinic and actually see a healthy baby boy born." The NeoGenix Biosciences employee presented the findings from the first AI SpermSearch clinical study to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology conference in Paris overnight. The system works by searching for the best sperm in semen samples taken from biopsies, offering embryologists another tool to select the most appropriate sperm to be used in IVF. Mr Gross said embryologists could often spend up to six hours looking for enough of the right tiny swimmers but the technology was shown to reduce search times by 75 per cent. "We found that our reducing the time to search, we were able to get through more samples, find more sperm and give these patients a better chance at having their own biological children," he said. The technology was given early access approval for research purposes at Sydney-based Virtus Health but Mr Goss hopes it could be approved for wider use across Australia by the end of the year. About 16 per cent of couples struggle with fertility, according to Family Planning NSW, while 1 in 18 babies in Australia are born through IVF each year. NSW couple Marcela and Rowan Moon experienced infertility until tests confirmed Mr Moon's semen had no sperm because of a genetic condition. "When they told us that Rowan was infertile I thought 'oh my God I can't have a child with Rowan being the father biologically' and then they said 'no, it's not like that, we can still do it'," Ms Moon said. Mr Moon had a biopsy as a day procedure and doctors took a sample, which was then used to create embryos. The first transfer was hailed a success and the couple later welcomed son Leo. "We were so lucky to get Leo first off the bat ... I don't think we really realised the rollercoaster that it was going to be," Mr Moon said. Artificial Intelligence is could make all the difference for would-be parents undergoing IVF who are struggling with the most severe forms of male infertility. The first Australian study of new technology has led to one live birth and five pregnancies in 12 months among 35 couples who would previously be considered infertile. "These are the most difficult cases that we see at an IVF clinic, so it's very motivating to be able to help people that in a normal world, naturally would never ever be able to have their own children," IVF Australia embryologist Dale Goss told AAP. "It's great to see translation from a science project essentially a few years ago and a proof of concept into something that's delivered in the clinic and actually see a healthy baby boy born." The NeoGenix Biosciences employee presented the findings from the first AI SpermSearch clinical study to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology conference in Paris overnight. The system works by searching for the best sperm in semen samples taken from biopsies, offering embryologists another tool to select the most appropriate sperm to be used in IVF. Mr Gross said embryologists could often spend up to six hours looking for enough of the right tiny swimmers but the technology was shown to reduce search times by 75 per cent. "We found that our reducing the time to search, we were able to get through more samples, find more sperm and give these patients a better chance at having their own biological children," he said. The technology was given early access approval for research purposes at Sydney-based Virtus Health but Mr Goss hopes it could be approved for wider use across Australia by the end of the year. About 16 per cent of couples struggle with fertility, according to Family Planning NSW, while 1 in 18 babies in Australia are born through IVF each year. NSW couple Marcela and Rowan Moon experienced infertility until tests confirmed Mr Moon's semen had no sperm because of a genetic condition. "When they told us that Rowan was infertile I thought 'oh my God I can't have a child with Rowan being the father biologically' and then they said 'no, it's not like that, we can still do it'," Ms Moon said. Mr Moon had a biopsy as a day procedure and doctors took a sample, which was then used to create embryos. The first transfer was hailed a success and the couple later welcomed son Leo. "We were so lucky to get Leo first off the bat ... I don't think we really realised the rollercoaster that it was going to be," Mr Moon said.
