A Pfizer spokesperson has released the following statement:
“We understand how important it is for Australian patients living with severe atopic dermatitis to have access to effective treatments. Unfortunately, we must share the disappointing news that Cibinqo® (abrocitinib) will not be included on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
While Cibinqo was recommended by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) in November 2024, Pfizer decided not to proceed with the listing based on our assessment that the expected net price level and the current Risk Share Arrangement (RSA) would make the PBS listing unsustainable for the company.
Pfizer believes there is a still significant growth to come in the atopic dermatitis market. We expect usage will exceed the expenditure thresholds set in the remaining years of the RSA, and that the RSA does not reflect a true sharing of risk due to the way it is structured.
Overlaying this RSA with the already low net pricing expected for listing, we believe the average selling price for Cibinqo does not reflect the value of innovation and is commercially unsustainable.
While intended to manage cost-effectiveness and provide Government with a means of limiting expenditure, the RSA framework limits access to innovative therapies that are available elsewhere.
This decision represents a significant setback for consumers, patient advocacy groups, and healthcare professionals who continue to emphasise the critical need for more treatment options for those living with severe atopic dermatitis.
Cibinqo would otherwise have been the third PBS-listed treatment available for patients suffering from severe atopic dermatitis, a condition associated with debilitating pruritus often leading to insomnia and other significant impairments to the lives of patients and the people caring for them.
We are exploring options for private market availability.
Pfizer’s decision is another example of the systemic challenges in Australia’s medicines access environment, where complex pricing and reimbursement processes and conditions can prevent patients from receiving the treatments the need when they need them.
Australia must urgently create more flexible, patient-focused reimbursement that balances economic considerations with patient needs.
Pfizer Australia joins industry, patients and healthcare professionals in calling for reform to Australia’s Health Technology Assessment (HTA) to ensure patients can access the latest treatments when they need them.”
