PBS updates

Keytruda (Pembrolizumab)

pembrolizumab 100 mg/4 mL injection, 4 mL vial · INJECTION · PBS code 12126F

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: 6.
  • • 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

Relapsed or refractory primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma


Initial treatment


The condition must be diagnosed as primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma through histological investigation combined with at least one of: (i) positron emission tomography - computed tomography (PET-CT) scan, (ii) PET scan, (iii) CT scan; AND

Patient must have been treated with rituximab-based chemotherapy for this condition; AND

Patient must be experiencing relapsed/refractory disease; AND

Patient must be autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) ineligible following a single line of treatment; or

Patient must have undergone an autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT); or

Patient must have been treated with at least 2 chemotherapy treatment lines for this condition, one of which must include rituximab-based chemotherapy; 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 this condition; AND

The treatment must be the sole PBS-subsidised therapy for this condition; AND

Patient must be undergoing treatment with this drug administered once every 3 weeks - prescribe up to 6 repeat prescriptions; or

Patient must be undergoing treatment with this drug administered once every 6 weeks - prescribe up to 3 repeat prescriptions.

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

Relapsed or refractory primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma


Continuing treatment


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

Patient must not have developed disease progression while receiving PBS-subsidised treatment with this drug for this condition; AND

Patient must be undergoing treatment with this drug administered once every 3 weeks - prescribe up to 6 repeat prescriptions; or

Patient must be undergoing treatment with this drug administered once every 6 weeks - prescribe up to 3 repeat prescriptions; AND

Patient must not be undergoing continuing PBS-subsidised treatment where this benefit is extending treatment beyond 24 cumulative months from the first administered dose, once in a lifetime.

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.