PBS updates

Keytruda (Pembrolizumab)

pembrolizumab 100 mg/4 mL injection, 4 mL vial · INJECTION · PBS code 12121Y

STREAMLINED

What it costs

AU$3632.56 PBS-determined price per pack

Most patients pay only the standard PBS co-payment, not the full price above — up to AU$25.00 per script (general) or AU$7.70 (concession/Safety Net) in 2026. The figure above is what the PBS pays the pharmacy; the Australian Government subsidises the rest. Always confirm the current amount with your pharmacist.

  • • First listed on the PBS: 2020-09-01.
  • • Repeats: 3.
  • • PBS program: IN.
Eligibility criteria for subsidised access

The following is the government's own wording from the PBS Schedule, shown unchanged.

Listing of Pharmaceutical Benefits (NHL) - Schedule 4 part 1

Stage IV (metastatic) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)


Initial treatment - 6 weekly treatment regimen


Patient must not have previously been treated for this condition in the metastatic setting; or

The condition must have progressed after treatment with a prior targeted therapy PBS-listed for this condition; AND

Patient must not have received prior treatment with a programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) inhibitor or a programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) inhibitor for non-small cell lung cancer; AND

Patient must have a WHO performance status of 0 or 1; AND

The condition must not have evidence of an activating epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene or an anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangement or a c-ROS proto-oncogene 1 (ROS1) gene arrangement in tumour material; AND

The treatment must not exceed a total of 4 doses under this restriction.

Listing of Pharmaceutical Benefits (NHL) - Schedule 4 part 1

Stage IV (metastatic) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)


Continuing treatment - 6 weekly treatment regimen


Patient must have previously received PBS-subsidised treatment with this drug for this condition; AND

Patient must not have developed disease progression while being treated with this drug for this condition; AND

The treatment must not exceed a total of 18 cycles or up to 24 months of treatment under both initial and continuing treatment restrictions, whichever comes first.

Sponsor: Merck Sharp & Dohme (Australia) Pty Ltd ABN 14 000 173 508

Not medical advice. Voxsanity republishes public PBS data in plain English. PBS listing status and criteria can change; always confirm current subsidised availability with your doctor or pharmacist.

Source: Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), © Commonwealth of Australia. Data used and redistributed under permission; not modified from its original wording where displayed verbatim.