Severe asthma (SA) Program in Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) 012-18051136

SA is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs.

Different biological medicines require different blood results in order to treat different types of SA.

Listings dates:

• omalizumab - 1 July 2011
• mepolizumab - 1 January 2017
• benralizumab - 1 December 2018
• dupilumab - 1 April 2021

See Written Authority Required Drugs for more details.

A break in treatment cycles is measured:

• from the date of last approval for PBS-subsidised biological medicine treatment in the most recent cycle
• to the date of the first application for initial treatment with a biological medicine under the new treatment cycle

There is no limit to the number of treatment cycles.

See Treatment breaks and failures for full details.

Treatment with dupilumab 200mg or 300mg

• swapping from 200mg to 300mg strength is not permitted within the continuing phase of the treatment. This is because the respective strengths are PBS approved for different patient cohorts
• patients on 300mg can lower the dose to 200mg as continuing treatment

Transfer enquiries about prescription arrangements to PBS Complex Drugs Programs, and choose the option relevant to the condition treated.