Endometriosis sufferers will have access to a new affordable treatment for the first time in 30 years.
The drug Visanne will become available under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), with Health Minister Mark Butler set to announce its listing today.
The medication can cost between $380 to $800 a year, or $90 for pension and concession card holders.
Visanne, also sold under dienogest, is daily tablet that can suppress and shrink the growth of abnormal tissue by inhibiting ovulation and menstruation using the hormone progesterone.
Women with endometriosis typically have tissue that grows outside the womb, causing inflammation, scarring and painful adhesions that join together pelvic organs.
The debilitating condition impacts about 1 million Australian women with a diagnosis taking on average six years.
Obstetrician and gynaecologist from the University of Sydney, Professor Jason Abbott, said hospital admissions due to endometriosis had increased by 40 per cent in the past decade.
“Subsidised access to this medicine will be very welcome news for a large number of women living with this invisible disease,” said Abbott.
“There is no cure for endometriosis, and it can last for decades. Affordable access to treatment options to help control symptoms is extremely important for a patient’s quality of life.
