Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2025C00124:clause:3_1:p405
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2025C00124
Segment Type: clause
Provision Reference: sch 3 cl 1 (pt 405/476)
Character Range: 3489897–3494223

the shortage has been resolved.
                                                                                                                                            To demonstrate a response to treatment the application must be accompanied with the assessment of response, conducted following a minimum of 12 weeks of therapy and no later than 4 weeks from cessation of the most recent course of biological medicine. It is recommended that an application for the continuing treatment be submitted no later than 4 weeks from the date of completion of the most recent course of treatment. This is to ensure treatment continuity for those who meet the continuing restriction.
                                                                                                                                            An adequate response to treatment is defined as:
                                                                                                                                            (a) a reduction in the total active (swollen and tender) joint count by at least 50% from baseline, where baseline is at least 20 active joints; or
                                                                                                                                            (b) a reduction in the number of the following active joints, from at least 4, by at least 50%:
                                                                                                                                            (i) elbow, wrist, knee and/or ankle (assessed as swollen and tender); and/or
                                                                                                                                            (ii) shoulder, cervical spine and/or hip (assessed as pain in passive movement and restriction of passive movement, where pain and limitation of movement are due to active disease and not irreversible damage such as joint destruction or bony overgrowth).
                                                                                                                                            At the time of authority application, medical practitioners must request the appropriate number of vials of appropriate strength to provide sufficient drug, based on the weight of the patient, for one infusion. A separate authority prescription form must be completed for each strength requested. Up to a maximum of 3 repeats will be authorised.
                                                                                                                                            Where a response assessment is not conducted within the required timeframe, the patient will be deemed to have failed to respond to treatment with this drug, unless the patient has experienced a serious adverse reaction of a severity resulting in the necessity for permanent withdrawal of treatment.
                                                                                                                                            If a patient fails to demonstrate a response to treatment with this drug they will not be eligible to receive further PBS‑subsidised treatment with this drug for this condition. Serious adverse reaction of a severity resulting in the necessity for permanent withdrawal of treatment is not considered as a treatment failure.
                                                                                                                                            A patient who fails to demonstrate a response to treatment with this drug under this restriction will not be eligible to receive further PBS‑subsidised treatment with this drug in this treatment cycle. A patient may re‑trial this drug after a minimum of 12 months have elapsed between the date the last prescription for a PBS‑subsidised biological medicine was approved in this cycle and the date of the first application under a new cycle under the initial 3 treatment restriction.
                                                                                                                                            If a patient fails to respond to PBS‑subsidised biological medicine treatment 3 times (once with each agent) they will not be eligible to receive further PBS‑subsidised