Australian men with early-stage prostate cancer that no longer responds to traditional hormone therapy will now be able to access a new form of treatment.
Erlyand® (apalutamide) is being listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from 1 May for approximately 1,000 men with non-metastatic prostate cancer who despite treatment with testosterone-lowering medication experience a rapid rise in prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels, signalling the imminent spread of cancer. Erlyand will be prescribed in combination with androgen deprivation therapy.
Associate Professor Arun Azad from Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre said that the PBS listing meant eligible Australian patients would have affordable access to Erlyand, an oral therapy which was made available overseas more than four years ago as the first approved medicine to treat non-metastatic prostate cancer.
He said the PBS listing heralds “a new era in the treatment of prostate cancer where doctors pre-empt the spread of cancer”.
“Stopping cancer before it spreads represents a shift in how we treat prostate cancer. It’s akin to identifying and dowsing flames before they form and spread as a bushfire,” he said.
Associate Professor Azad explained that while there were treatments for advanced prostate cancer, suppressing the cancer at an earlier stage is a more effective strategy which avoids “fighting the cancer on multiple fronts”.
“Wherever possible we want to stop the spread of cancer. We now have treatment options that can be used earlier with the aim of preventing further spread of disease,” he said.
A rapid doubling of PSA levels in the blood indicates that men with non-metastatic prostate cancer are at heightened risk of their cancer spreading. “This is a red flag that signals a need for change in treatment,” Associate Professor Azad explained.
He said a decline in men participating in PSA testing due to COVID-19had been concerning and would undoubtedly mean more men being diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer.
“It’s vital that men undergo regular prostate health checks, so they are diagnosed at an earlier stage of the disease and don’t miss out on this critical window to treat the cancer before it spreads.”
“For men living with prostate cancer, regular monitoring is essential to detect changes in PSA levels, which can be a warning signal that cancer is on the move.”
Each year, more than 18,000 Australian men are diagnosed with prostate cancer and 3,500 men lose their lives to this cancer.
Anne Savage, CEO of Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia said the organisation was “delighted” that Erlyand is being publicly funded for men with a high-risk form of prostate cancer.
“This PBS listing is an important development, and our message is clear – early diagnosis, early treatment and early identification of changes in cancer activity are key to containing and combatting prostate cancer,” she said.
“We welcome this listing, which will give Australian men better prospects for slowing down the spread of prostate cancer. We are grateful for the efforts of industry to make these life-extending drugs available to all men who need them and will continue to advocate for expanded availability of this essential medicine.”
Erlyand works by blocking the action of testosterone in prostate cancer cells and prevents the hormone androgen, which plays a role in prostate cancer growth, from binding to the androgen receptor. The therapy is taken as a tablet once a day, with or without food.
The PBS listing means that eligible patients will pay just $42.50 (general patients) or $6.90 (concessional patients) for each cycle of treatment with Erlyand.
