Kidney drug price tumbles

Kidney drug price tumbles

Article from: Herald Sun
Kamahl Cogdon

December 03, 2007 12:00am

DIALYSIS patients stand to save more than $4000 a year with the listing of a life-saving drug on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

Kidney Health Australia medical director Dr Tim Mathew said Renagel was also expected to cut death rates by about 10 per cent.

"Renagel represents a major step forward for dialysis patients," he said.

"The sad fact is the complications of dialysis, including the mortality, have not improved much in the last 20 to 30 years."

He said many chronic kidney disease patients also suffered cardiovascular disease, with the body unable to filter artery-hardening calcium and phosphate from the blood.

Dr Mathew said current drug treatments, used to complement dialysis, controlled phosphate levels in the blood but at the expense of raising calcium levels.

The new PBS-listed drug does not contain calcium or metals, leaving Dr Mathew hopeful it will reduce the annual death rate of 12 per cent of dialysis patients.

"The early trials around this are suggesting that will translate through into improved survival for dialysis patients," he said.

About 8500 people with chronic kidney disease are on dialysis and about half of them are expected to be eligible for the drug.

Renagel gained Therapeutic Goods Administration approval about a year ago, but its $400 a month price tag was prohibitive for many dialysis patients.

Its weekend listing on the PBS will bring the monthly price down to $30.70 and $4.90 for pensioners, a saving of more than $4400 a year.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22858768-662,00.html