Nurse practitioner prescribing of secukinumab, new antifibrotic listings for progressive pulmonary fibrosis, and a push to lower the funded age for Shingrix are all part of the November PBAC agenda.
The November 2026 PBAC agenda includes a handful of submissions with direct relevance for rheumatology, led by a proposal to allow nurse practitioners to prescribe secukinumab across all its existing PBS-listed indications and two listing requests for the investigational antifibrotic nerandomilast that could affect management of connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease.
Novartis has lodged a request to amend all existing PBS listings for secukinumab (Cosentyx) to allow prescribing by nurse practitioners.
The proposed change covers severe chronic plaque psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis, severe psoriatic arthritis, non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis, and hidradenitis suppurativa.
If recommended and implemented, the change would represent another step in expanding the prescribing scope of nurse practitioners for high-cost biologic therapies under the PBS.
Boehringer Ingelheim has also returned with two new PBS listing applications for nerandomilast (Jascayd), one for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and another for progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF).
The PPF submission is likely to be of greatest interest to rheumatologists given the significant proportion of patients with progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease who have an underlying connective tissue disease.
The proposed PBS restriction for PPF would allow nerandomilast as first-line pharmacological therapy, following discontinuation of nintedanib because of intolerance, adverse events or disease progression, or in combination with nintedanib.
The separate IPF submission similarly seeks access both as monotherapy and in combination with existing antifibrotic agents. Both applications are seeking Authority Required (Telephone/Online) listings.
Another item with implications for rheumatology is GlaxoSmithKline’s resubmission to lower the age threshold for funded recombinant zoster vaccination under the National Immunisation Program.
Related
The company is seeking to expand eligibility for Shingrix to non-Indigenous adults aged 60 years and older, down from the current threshold of 65 years.
A successful recommendation would increase access to shingles prevention for older patients receiving immunosuppressive therapies, although separate funded eligibility pathways for immunocompromised patients would remain unchanged.
The agenda also includes a Category 3/4 submission from Amgen seeking a broad PBS listing for the higher-concentration formulations of the adalimumab biosimilar Amgevita across immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.
The submission follows a positive PBAC recommendation for the higher-strength presentations at the March 2026 meeting and aims to extend their availability across existing IMID indications under streamlined authority arrangements.
The November agenda is otherwise relatively light on rheumatology-specific submissions, with most applications focused on oncology, cardiology, respiratory medicine, and rare diseases.
Consumer consultation on the agenda closes on 16 September, ahead of the November PBAC meeting.
See the full agenda here.
