PBS Kicks Off 2026 With New and Expanded Medicine Listings
13 Jan 2026
Among the new listings is an expanded PBS subsidy for adalimumab (Humira), now approved to treat juvenile idiopathic arthritis. The medication is already used for other childhood inflammatory conditions, including Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and chronic plaque psoriasis, and works by reducing immune system inflammation.
The Federal Government estimates up to 30,100 Australians aged 0–24 years may be living with arthritis. Under the updated PBS pricing, the cost of adalimumab has dropped from around $650 per script to $25, following co-payment reductions introduced on 1 January.
Also listed for the first time is odevixibat (Bylvay), approved for the treatment of progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis, a rare group of inherited liver disorders that primarily affect children.
Another new PBS addition is ublituximab (Briumvi) for people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The medicine targets B-cells involved in inflammation, helping reduce relapses and slow disease progression. More than 14,000 patients used similar PBS-subsidised treatments in 2024, with unsubsidised scripts costing around $15,000.
The RRMS listing follows the December approval of a new under-the-skin injection form of ocrelizumab (Ocrevus) for adult patients.
From 1 January 2026, the general PBS co-payment reduced from $31.60 to $25, while the concessional co-payment will remain at $7.70 until 2030.
https://www1.racgp.org.au/
Source: Australian Government / Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)