Analysis of nivolumab for gastro-oesophageal cancers, June 2025
Page last updated: 2 December 2025
Drug utilisation sub-committee (DUSC)
June 2025
Abstract
Purpose
Analysis of the predicted versus actual utilisation of nivolumab 24 months following its addition to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for gastro-oesophageal cancers on 1 October 2022.
Data Source / methodology
PBS dispensing data was extracted from the PBS data maintained by the Department of Health and Aged Care, processed by Services Australia.
Key Findings
- The number of prevalent patients has increased steadily from 589 in the first quarter of listing to 1,029 by 2025Q1 while the number of initiating patients has been approximately 280-300 per quarter from the second quarter of listing.
- Both the number of prevalent patients and prescriptions per quarter have appeared to plateau.
- There were 3,301 unique patients by 2025Q1 and the majority were classified as males (2,387) with a median age of 68 years. The remaining 914 patients were classified as female and had a median age of 67 years.
- The median time to resupply for nivolumab was 21 days and the median time on treatment was 168 days.
- Using the Kaplan-Meier analysis and the interquartile range results, the cost per treatment course of nivolumab ranged from $23,647 to $116,148 based on the published prices for the majority of patients.
- Since first listing there have been 3,103 patients who have initiated nivolumab up to 23rd February 2025 and of these, 50.4% may be considered alive according to date of death data up to 23rd February 2025.
