Keytruda (Pembrolizumab)
pembrolizumab 100 mg/4 mL injection, 4 mL vial · INJECTION · PBS code 13254N
STREAMLINEDWhat 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: 2023-05-01.
- • Repeats: 6.
- • PBS program: IP.
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 clear cell variant renal cell carcinoma (RCC)
Initial treatment
Patient must have a prognostic International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium (IMDC) survival risk classification score at treatment initiation with this drug of either: (i) 1 to 2 (intermediate risk), (ii) 3 to 6 (poor risk); document the IMDC risk classification score in the patient's medical records; AND
The condition must be untreated; 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
Patient must have a WHO performance status of 2 or less; AND
Patient must be undergoing combination therapy consisting of: (i) pembrolizumab, (ii) lenvatinib; or
Patient must be undergoing monotherapy with this drug due to a contraindication/intolerance to the other drug in the combination mentioned above, requiring temporary/permanent discontinuation; document the details in the patient's medical records; 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
Stage IV clear cell variant renal cell carcinoma (RCC)
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 treatment with this drug for this condition; AND
Patient must be undergoing combination therapy consisting of: (i) pembrolizumab, (ii) lenvatinib; or
Patient must be undergoing monotherapy with this drug due to a contraindication/intolerance to the other drug in the combination mentioned above, requiring temporary/permanent discontinuation; document the details in the patient's medical records; 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.