The current clinical criteria for abemaciclib for the treatment of early breast cancer (PBS item codes 14116Y, 14105J and 14134X) must be updated to align with the clinical criteria for the new ribociclib PBS listing for early breast cancer.

The clinical criteria for these item codes should be “Patient must have been untreated with cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6) inhibitor therapy at the time non-PBS-subsidised or PBS-subsidised treatment was initiated; OR”

This omission will not cause a disruption in treatment for existing patients or delay the commencement of treatment for new patients. Prescribers can continue to seek authority approval from Services Australia following their usual workflow processes.  

The clinical criteria for item codes 14116Y, 14105J and 14134X will be corrected in the PBS schedule from 1 August 2025.