On 1 March 2026, Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme published its summary of changes. Among the changes is the expansion of the PBS listing for nivolumab and ipilimumab to enable broader access for the treatment of advanced or metastatic cancers.
The Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) had recommended a broad, multi-indication PBS listing for BMS’ Opdivo® (nivolumab) and Yervoy® (ipilimumab) in advanced or metastatic cancers in September 2025. The multi-indication PBS-listing of nivolumab and ipilimumab takes effect from 1 March 2026 and is the first of its kind in Australia.
The PBS listing allows clinicians to apply clinical judgment and discretion in using the medicines according to the best available evidence at the time, including for rare cancers for which regulatory submissions are unlikely. The listing also removes the once in a lifetime limitation for these medicines when used for advanced or metastatic cancers.