Source : Perth Now news
The first new treatment in more than 20 years for sufferers of one of the most common types of brain cancer is now available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, less than two months after the death of pioneering researcher and cancer sufferer Richard Scolyer.
Voranigo (vorasidenib) was made available on the PBS on Saturday for eligible Australians living with Grade 2 IDH-mutant glioma, the most common brain cancer in adults under 50 years of age.
Usually diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 45, Grade 2 IDH-mutant glioma is a slow-growing but incurable disease that can progress over years.
Health Minister Mark Butler said the disease was “deeply, deeply debilitating”, with sufferers are often facing seizures, cognitive changes and physical disability.
“Tragically, (Grade 2 IDH-mutant glioma) hits people in very young adulthood, usually in their 20s and 30s,” he told News24.
Voranigo will be the first treatment for the disease available through the PBS in 20 years following years of advocacy.
In total, about 130 patients will benefit from the listing, which will save them from having to fork out a whopping $28,000 per month.
“Obviously, that is well beyond the means of almost all Australians. Now, it will be available at PBS prices,” he said.
A number of medicines were added to the PBS in August, including treatments for thyroid cancer, blood cancer, and Crohn’s disease.
The announcement comes less than two months after the death of Professor Scolyer.
The Tasmania-born researcher was diagnosed with a grade 4 glioblastoma brain tumour in June 2023.
He was named Australian of the Year in 2024 alongside fellow researcher Georgina Long, with whom he led groundbreaking research before his cancer returned in 2025.
He died on June 7 aged 59.
