Really bad news! Aimovig has NOT been recommended by the independent Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) to be added to the PBS.

While it is ultimately a Government decision, no medication can be added to the PBS without the recommendation from PBAC.

Here's the reason for refusal: 
"The PBAC considered the magnitude of the clinical benefit, and the claim of noninferior efficacy compared with Botox, were uncertain due to being based on a subgroup of the trial population and clinical data for only the 140 mg dose. There were significant issues with the economic model, and the cost-effectiveness of erenumab versus BSC at the price proposed in the resubmission is highly uncertain. The expected financial impact of listing erenumab on the PBS was very high and uncertain. Given the significant burden of disease and the high number of patients that may benefit from treatment, the PBAC considered it was important to ensure any PBS listing was based on the best available data, was appropriately targeted to the right patients and was cost-effective in those patients."

In English, the comparisons of how well Aimovig works with how well Botox works were not really clear (well duh, we know that, Botox works for some, doesn't for others, same with Aimovig, and no one can tell us why); and there's too many migraine patients, and no way of knowing how many will use the drug, so the cost is really high and they can't figure out how much it's going to cost the Government. 

I don't know about you, but to me, 'there are too many migraine patients' is not a good excuse to deny us a breakthrough treatment that is giving us back our lives. We know it's going to cost the budget billions, but as most of us are working age, it will also return billions to the economy. And we're sick of being ignored. 

So we need to step it up now, and make sure that every candidate knows about Aimovig and how it is changing our lives. We need both parties to publicly and loudly say that they will commit to funding for migraine awareness and research - including research on the true rate of how many Australians suffer from migraine to answer PBAC's issues with the economic modelling. 

Find all the Candidates on the ABC website, with handy links to their websites 
Or Sleeping Giants has a handy tool to link you to your candidates' social media profiles or email (although some of them go to campaign HQ) 

Tell them your story of how migraine sucks, and how you want your (or your loved one's) life back. Ask them what they will do to support migraine sufferers. Include a link to this petition, and tell them #NoAimovigNoVote.  

We may need to wait another round of PBAC, but in the meantime we can make a lot of noise. Let's keep working towards the goal of public commitments from both parties that they will put the CGRP meds like Aimovig on the PBS when approved by PBAC. 

And keep sharing the petition please. Stay strong.