New blood sugar-lowering medicine for type 2 diabetes now available on PBS

There’s good news for Australians living with type 2 diabetes as the government has added a new treatment option — Ozempic (semaglutide), a medication that’s used to improve blood sugar levels — to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). The once-weekly blood sugar-lowering medicine is now available on the PBS for people with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is one of the fastest-growing chronic conditions in Australia, affecting an estimated 1.1 million people. Uncontrolled blood sugar levels increase the risk of type 2 diabetes complications such as kidney disease, blindness, limb amputations and cardiovascular disease. However, less than 50 per cent of Aussies diagnosed with type 2 diabetes meet their blood sugar levels target.

“It’s essential that there are no further delays in addressing the rising rates of uncontrolled blood sugar levels in people living with type 2 diabetes in Australia,” Neale Cohen, a diabetes specialist from the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, said.

“The availability of a new reimbursed once-weekly [blood sugar lowering medicine] is an opportunity to further help improve our management of people living with type 2 diabetes and reduce the risk of serious, life-threatening complications for thousands of Australians. I’m encouraging all people living with type 2 diabetes to be aware of their blood sugar levels as we emerge from Covid-19 isolation, so we can quickly address poor blood sugar control as early as possible.”

Meanwhile, Greg Johnson, CEO of Diabetes Australia, said it’s now more important than ever for people living with type 2 diabetes to talk to their doctor about their diabetes management plan.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has been a difficult time for people living with diabetes who have had concerns about the increased risks related to [the virus] and consequently reduced their access to the primary care system, pathology tests, other health checks and hospital-based services,” he said.

“It’s now more important than ever for people living with type 2 diabetes to talk to their doctor and diabetes healthcare team about their diabetes management. Maintaining blood glucose levels in a target range is very difficult for many people with type 2 diabetes and a new PBS reimbursed therapy option for people with type 2 diabetes is very welcomed at this time.”

The announcement comes after new research from Melbourne’s Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute suggests Australians living with type 2 diabetes are 60 per cent more likely to develop dementia, and twice as likely to develop some types of cancer, than those without the condition.