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Vicki Durston: Olaparib has been added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer

Vicki Durston/standard.net.au

Jan 9, 2025, 13:53

Vicki Durston: Olaparib has been added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer

Vicki Durston shared on LinkedIn:

“We are pleased to announce that Olaparib has been added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for patients with HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer who carry BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations. This development marks a significant advancement in expanding treatment options for the metastatic community with a BRCA mutation.

Our advocacy for access to Olaparib has been consistent and focused, particularly for those with MBC, and we are thrilled to see this positive outcome. Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) shared insights on this important announcement in a recent ABC radio interview—link below.

Dr. Belinda Kiely, a Medical Oncologist and BCNA Clinical Advisory Group volunteer, has long advocated for those with MBC. She states, ‘Olaparib is a well-tolerated and targeted oral treatment for people with a type of inherited advanced breast cancer. It helps prolong the time to cancer progression and can give people more time before starting chemotherapy.’

Nurse Practitioner and BCNA Clinical Advisory member Jen Gilchrist also supports this announcement, saying, ‘Olaparib offers significant benefits for patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) who have BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, improving progression-free survival while allowing for a tailored and tolerable treatment approach.’

We also want to highlight the challenges faced by those with a BRCA mutation regarding discrimination related to life insurance underwriting. As BRCA tests and subsequent treatments become more accessible, it underscores the need to pass promised legislation by The Honourable Stephen Jones. We must ensure that our efforts to offer more treatments do not inadvertently lead to increased discrimination through more extensive testing.

Listen to the ABC radio interview here.”

Vicki Durston is the Director of Policy, Advocacy and Support Services at the Breast Cancer Network Australia. Additionally, she is also the President of the General Assembly and a Board Member at ABC Global Alliance. She earned her Master of Education degree in Leadership, Policy & Change from Monash University.