12 January 2021 - The January 2021 issue of the Schedule of Pharmaceutical Benefits tells very different tales for two innovative medicines. 

The direct-acting anti-viral medicine for patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection, sofosbuvir (Sovaldi) has been delisted; essentially because it is now a redundant medicine. Sovaldi was listed on the PBS on 1 March 2016 after two submissions and spent 1,796 days in the Schedule. 

Apremilast (Otezla) has finally been listed on the PBS for patients with plaque psoriasis after six submissions. The initial submission was considered by the PBAC in March 2015 (sofosbuvir was recommended by the PBAC at this meeting); the sixth in July 2020.

Apremilast was listed in the Schedule of Pharmaceutical Benefits 2249 days after the initial PBAC submission and 2122 days after TGA registration.

Apremilast took more time to get on the PBS than Sovaldi spent listed in the Schedule. Four medicines for patients with plaque psoriasis have been listed in the Schedule in the time it took apremilast to be listed (secukinumab, ixekizumab, tildrakizumab and guselkumab).