People living with rarer types of cystic fibrosis will pay a fraction of the price to access life-changing treatment under an expansion of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
The changes will take effect from July, and mean the drug Trikafta will be affordable for patients diagnosed with rarer mutations of the disease, thanks to government subsidies.
Without subsidies, the treatment would cost an eye-watering $250,000 a year.
People will now pay a maximum of $31.60 per script, or $7.70 if they hold a concession card.
Almost 200 Australians every year are expected to benefit from the change to the PBS listing.
Trikafta was first subsidised in April 2022 for patients aged 12 years and older who have specific gene mutations.
From January 2026, the maximum people will pay for PBS-listed medicines will drop to just $25 per script.
One baby is born every four days with cystic fibrosis and more than 3700 Australians had the inherited condition as of 2022, according to Cystic Fibrosis Australia.
Cystic fibrosis is an incurable genetic disease that causes an abnormal amount of thick and sticky mucus in the lungs, digestive and other systems.
This can cause irreversible damage to lungs and other organs over time.
Trikafta and similar drugs, alongside improved treatment, have increased the life expectancy for people with the condition from 47 to 60 years in the past two decades.
Health Minister Mark Butler said the cost of the more effective treatment was an "impossible price" for most people.
"This expansion to Trikafta's PBS listing is great news for hundreds of Australians who live with rare mutations of CF, including children, and their families," he said.
"As a result, these people will be able to lead longer and better-quality lives."
Cystic Fibrosis Australia chief executive Jo Armstrong said the move places the nation as a global leader for equitable access to therapies.
"This decision means that hundreds of Australians living with cystic fibrosis will now have access to a therapy that was previously out of reach, a treatment that can dramatically improve quality of life and life expectancy," she said.
"For those who've waited, hoped, and campaigned, this is more than a policy decision, it's a transformational outcome."
