Australians living with HIV will soon have another treatment drug available to them at a more affordable price.
Biktarvy, a single daily tablet that combines three drugs, will be subsidised by the federal government from Friday, through its listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
Each of the tablet's components disrupt the replication of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which attacks some key immune cells.
The PBS listing has been welcomed by some HIV-focused clinicians, who say the more treatment options available, the better.
Professor Don Smith at Sydney's Albion Centre - which is focused on HIV management - says one of the biggest challenges in treating the condition is ensuring patients stick to their medication.
"Having another single tablet treatment option available to us may help us with these challenges," he said.
Biktarvy was approved for use in Australia by the Therapeutic Goods Administration in November.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said its listing on the PBS was a "great day for patients", with more than 15,000 people expected to benefit from its cost dropping from at most $40.30 for a monthly script.
That compares to paying more than $5540 per year without subsidies.
Its listing on the PBS comes after another single tablet treatment, Juluca, was subsidised in November.
Earlier in 2018 the costs for a preventative HIV drug, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), were also slashed through its listing on the PBS.
There are more than 27,000 people living with HIV in Australia, with 963 new notifications recorded in 2017 - the lowest figure in seven years.
