Decision on funding of dabigatran in Australia delayed

Source: National Prescribing Service (Australia) Area: News In Australia, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) recommended dabigatran for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF) for public funding in March 2011. Such a positive committee verdict usually ensures smooth passage into the national Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), but the Australian Minister for Health announced in December 2012 that the PBAC decision is being delayed. This follows the release of a report reviewing anticoagulation therapies in AF which identified uncertainties regarding the magnitude of any incremental clinical and cost-effectiveness benefit of new oral anticoagulants (NOACs) over other therapies when introduced into widespread clinical practice, and the high total predicted cost. Therefore the committee has concluded that more work is needed before NOACs can be listed on the PBS for stroke prevention in AF.
Source: NeLM - Cardiovascular Medicine - Category: Cardiology Source Type: news