Australia Expands Subsidised Access to Cystic Fibrosis Drugs

Changes to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme take effect 1 November 2026, widening access to treatments for cystic fibrosis, blood cancer and thyroid eye disease.

Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Asthma

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a plain cream scoop tipped over pale granules beside a stack of white tablets on a slate blue surface, evoking subsidised medicine access. — Australia will expand government subsidies for cystic fibrosis, blood cancer, and thyroid eye disease medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme from 1 November 2026. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should the government keep expanding subsidies that lower prescription medicine costs for patients?

The Australian government has expanded subsidised access to medicines for cystic fibrosis, blood cancer and thyroid eye disease under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), effective 1 November 2026. The changes include a granule form of Trikafta for children aged six to 11 who weigh less than 30 kg.

Why it matters

The granule form of Trikafta is designed to help children who have difficulty swallowing tablets. Without PBS subsidies, the Trikafta treatment could cost patients more than 20,300 Australian dollars per prescription.

Around 3,300 Australians are expected to benefit each year from the expanded Trikafta listing, with a further 310 for Tepezza and 370 for Adcetris, against 511 new and amended PBS listings funded since July 2022. Projected uptake figures are estimates, and actual numbers of patients who will access the subsidies have not been reported.

The players

Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme

The Australian government's subsidised medicines program, which sets the listings and patient co-payments for prescription drugs.

The details

The changes to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme took effect on 1 November 2026, adding Tepezza as a treatment for active, moderate-to-severe thyroid eye disease and expanding access to Adcetris as a first-line treatment for advanced CD30-positive classical Hodgkin lymphoma. The Repatha listing was also amended to allow eligible patients to obtain larger quantities under the 60-day prescription initiative.

July 2022: Funding for 511 new and amended PBS listings begins.
1 November 2026: PBS changes take effect.

Big Picture

The expansions extend the existing Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme listing process to new medicines and patient groups, continuing the pattern of ongoing PBS additions the government has funded since July 2022. The 511 new and amended listings since that date show the scheme is being widened incrementally rather than in a single reform.

Eligible patients will pay a maximum of 25 Australian dollars per prescription under the PBS, or 7.70 Australian dollars for concession card holders. Families of children with cystic fibrosis who struggle to swallow tablets may find the granule form of Trikafta a practical option from 1 November 2026.

The takeaway

Patients and families should check PBS eligibility and co-payment rules with their prescriber or pharmacist before 1 November 2026, particularly for the granule form of Trikafta and the new Tepezza listing. Concession card holders pay a lower maximum per prescription, which can make a significant difference to ongoing treatment costs.