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

Eosinophilic oesophagitis

Initial treatment for up to 3 months

Must be treated by a clinical immunologist, suitably qualified allergist or gastroenterologist; AND

Patient must require an amino acid based formula as a component of a dietary elimination program; AND

Patient must be 18 years of age or less.

Treatment with oral steroids should not be commenced during the period of initial treatment.

Eosinophilic oesophagitis is demonstrated by the following criteria:

(i) Chronic symptoms of reflux that persisted despite a 2-month trial of a proton pump inhibitor or chronic dysphagia; and

(ii) A lack of demonstrable anatomic abnormality with the exception of stricture, which can be attributable to eosinophilic oesophagitis; and

(iii) Eosinophilic infiltration of the oesophagus, demonstrated by oesophageal biopsy specimens obtained by endoscopy and where the most densely involved oesophageal biopsy had 20 or more eosinophils in any single 400 x high powered field, along with normal antral and duodenal biopsies.

The date of birth of the patient must be included in the authority application.

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

Eosinophilic oesophagitis

Continuing treatment

Must be treated by a clinical immunologist, suitably qualified allergist or gastroenterologist; AND

Patient must have responded to an initial course of PBS-subsidised treatment; AND

Patient must be 18 years of age or less.

Response to initial treatment is demonstrated by oesophageal biopsy specimens obtained by endoscopy, where the most densely involved oesophageal biopsy had 5 or less eosinophils in any single 400 x high powered field, along with normal antral and duodenal biopsies. The response criteria will not be deemed to have been met if oral steroids were commenced during initial treatment.