It is Thursday, June 4, 2026, at 4:49 am.

Zoladex 3.6mg is a medicine that helps slow the growth of breast cancer or reduces the risk of it coming back.

In short, this is about a breast cancer drug.

AstraZeneca will stop selling a critical breast cancer and endometriosis drug in Australia from November.

Patients are very upset about this decision.

What happens next?

AstraZeneca will give the drug for free to some patients for six months.

A life-saving breast cancer and endometriosis drug will be removed from Australian stores later this year.

The drug, Zoladex, will be taken off the market in November because of a decision made by AstraZeneca.

A higher dose of the drug for prostate cancer will still be available.

Breast cancer patients like Kate Hardman are very sad about this decision.

The announcement has made breast cancer patients feel confused and anxious.

These patients already live with fear of their cancer getting worse.

Vicki Durston says the drug has been effective for patients.

Zoladex 3.6mg is used to slow the growth of breast cancer or reduce the risk of it coming back.

The medicine stops the ovaries from producing oestrogen, a hormone that can make some breast cancers grow.

The decision is 'soul-destroying' and 'cruel'.

Kate Hardman has stage 4 metastatic breast cancer and has been using Zoladex 3.6mg since 2023.

She is now stressed about whether she can get the medicine that keeps her alive.

Kate Hardman thinks the decision is cruel because the drug is life-saving for her and many other women.

We do not know exactly why AstraZeneca made this decision.

AstraZeneca says the decision is for commercial reasons.

AstraZeneca did not give more information about why they made this decision.

The company will not say which other countries are affected by this change.

Kate Hardman has been sharing her breast cancer journey on social media.

Health department officials tried to keep the medicine on the list of subsidized drugs.

AstraZeneca told the health department that they are removing the drug from several markets, including Australia.

Men with aggressive prostate cancer are also affected by the removal of a groundbreaking drug.

The removal of Zoladex 3.6mg will leave some patients without the medicine they need.

About 8,600 patients used the medicine in the first three months of the year.

Health authorities are looking for other options to help patients.

The drug is available in a higher dose, but it is only approved for prostate cancer patients in Australia.

The higher dose might be approved for breast cancer patients in the future.

Do you know more about this story?

AstraZeneca will give some patients free access to the 3.6mg implant for six months.

AstraZeneca is working to give more information to doctors about the Zoladex Access Program.

Some patients are still worried even though AstraZeneca has an access program.

Rachel Dear hopes the higher dose of the drug will be approved for breast cancer patients.

Being a young woman with early breast cancer is already very difficult.

Rachel Dear thinks the higher dose of the drug might not be the best option for all patients.

The system for listing medicines is a long-standing problem for US pharmaceutical companies.

When medicines are listed, the government pays part of the cost so patients can buy them cheaply.

US pharmaceutical companies think the system is unfair and undervalues their medicines.

The system for listing medicines contributes to many Australians missing out on subsidized medicines.

Eli Lilly did not list their drug Mounjaro because they thought the price was too low.

Nial Wheate says the government's negotiations with pharmaceutical companies are necessary to keep the system affordable.

The government spends billions of dollars on the system each year.

The health department says pharmaceutical companies make their own decisions about listing medicines.

The government cannot force companies to keep listing a medicine.

It is Thursday, June 4, 2026, at 4:49 am.

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