We did it. After 5 long years of campaigning, Aimovig has finally inched forward to being listed on the PBS.
What is this?
Aimovig is one of the newer CGRP medications that has been developed to manage migraine.
It works slightly differently to Emgality, Ajovy and Vyepti.
Find out more about CGRP medications here.
What has happened?
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) has recommended that Aimovig be listed to the PBS.
This means that, once the final step of the government negotiating price and finalising the listing is done, those with chronic migraine will be able to access this life changing medication for $31.60 (or the concession price of $7.70) instead of $695 per month.
There are several steps to getting a medication on the PBS. Now that Aimovig has a positive recommendation from the PBAC, the Department of Health can now negotiate with the drug company on a supply contract, and once that is done, the Minister can list it on the PBS with approval from cabinet.
So, while this is a fantastic achievement, the fight is not yet over. We have been here before, and we know that we could be waiting up to a year or more to actually get Aimovig on the PBS, as we did with Emgality, Ajovy, and Vyepti.
What can I do?
This part of the fight is where we need to dig in. Now is when we call and email our politicians - especially the Health Minister Mark Butler.
Now is when we need to find the extra spoons and push hard to get through the final hurdle.
As this final step - actually listing the medication the PBS - is a political decision, and not one based in health care or science, it is really important that you ask your local MP to help fight to get Aimovig on the PBS.
Follow this guide on how to contact our local MP.
You can also contact Mark Butler directly. To help you do that, we have set up this handy tool. Simply put in your details, edit the email to personalise it and make it really from you, and hit send.