The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) has amended the rules on anti-solid tumour drug lapatinib (Tykerb) from this month, allowing women with HER2-positive secondary breast cancer to return to government subsidised trastuzumab (Herceptin) if required.
Under the original PBS rules, once a woman changed treatment from trastuzumab to lapatinib, she could not go back onto Herceptin meaning that soemtimes trying lapatinib as a treatment option may have been delayed.
The Breast Cancer Network of Australai supported this change to the PBS listing.