Parents of children with debilitating eczema are renewing calls for Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme coverage of dupilumab for under-12s after 7NEWS reported families paying about $20,000 a year for the biologic while the drug remains subsidised only for severe cases in patients aged 12 and over.
Clinical stakes
Dupilumab, sold as Dupixent, blocks inflammatory pathways implicated in atopic dermatitis. Dermatology specialist Dr Li-Chuen Wong told 7NEWS the medicine has transformed teenagers who failed topical steroids and immunosuppressants, allowing them to attend school and sleep through the night.
One family described daughter Mackenzie, who required hospital admission before gaining compassionate access; her parents said symptoms eased dramatically within months of treatment.
PBAC timeline
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee first recommended expanding access for younger children four years ago, but subsequent decisions delayed listing amid budget impact modelling. The October PBS schedule update added other medicines but left paediatric dupilumab off the general schedule.
Sponsor Sanofi and regulator negotiations typically hinge on volume estimates and risk-share agreements; consumer groups want interim compassionate programs widened while talks continue.
Scale of eczema in Australia
About three million Australians live with eczema, with one in three children under six affected. Most cases are mild, but a subset experiences open wounds, infections, and developmental disruption from itch and sleep loss.
GPs already field questions about October's $25 general co-payment and $7.70 concessional rate after the monthly schedule change; adding a high-cost biologic would shift spending from state hospitals to federal PBS ledgers.
What families do now
Advocacy group Eczema Support Australia is collecting patient stories for a PBAC resubmission. Parents are warned against importing unapproved biosimilars online, with TGA citing counterfeit risks.
State children's hospitals can sometimes fund infusions through compassionate slots, but capacity is limited and postcodes determine access—a postcode lottery families say PBS listing would end.
Until Canberra and the sponsor agree on price, under-12 patients with severe disease will keep juggling wet wraps and hospital admissions while teenagers on PBS scripts show what remission looks like.
Local impact
Community groups said the issue remains a talking point in regional centres, where services are thinner and travel costs amplify every policy shift. Local MPs reported higher constituent mail over the past fortnight, suggesting the story has cut through beyond specialist audiences.
Specialists interviewed by commercial radio stressed that individual circumstances vary, and that anyone affected should seek advice from accredited professionals rather than informal online forums.