Melanoma drug to be listed on PBS THE world's first drug to prolong the lives of people with advanced melanoma will receive Australian taxpayer subsidies this week. The breakthrough $120,000 (for four doses) drug Yervoy will be listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from Thursday, pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb said in a statement. It's hoped the drug could add two years to the lives of people with the deadliest form of skin cancer for whom other treatments have failed. There's an average life expectancy of six months for patients with advanced melanomas, which kill about 1500 Australians each year. Patients with stage three or stage four malignant melanomas that can not be removed by surgery will be reimbursed the costs of the drug under the PBS.