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Australian children with severe eczema wait four years for subsidized treatment
A medication recommended for subsidy in 2022 remains unavailable to children under 12. Families report repeated hospitalizations and lost school time while negotiations continue.
The Sydney Morning HeraldAudio version
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Australian children aged six to 11 with severe eczema still lack subsidized access to dupilumab four years after a government advisory committee recommended the listing. The injection, sold as Dupixent, has been available through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for patients over 12 since 2021 at a cost of $25 a month. Without subsidy, the annual cost reaches about $20,000.
Access barriers and family impact One mother described packing spare clothes on outings because her son often bled from scratching. The boy, now eight, lost three fingertips before receiving compassionate access to the drug at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
A second family reported their six-year-old daughter has never slept through the night and has missed weeks of school this year. Teachers have warned she may fall behind academically.
Recommendation and current status The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee recommended subsidy for children aged six to 11 in March 2022. A department spokesperson stated the manufacturer has not supplied required documentation for the listing to proceed.
On Wednesday the committee will review a new proposal covering ages six months to 12 years. Findings are expected in August. A patient-advocacy group said thousands of children experience chronic itch, infection, sleep loss and repeated hospital admissions while the process continues.
