From the CEO
The 4th of February 2015 is World Cancer Day, and this year the focus will be on taking a positive and proactive approach to the fight against cancer, highlighting that solutions do exist across the continuum of cancer, and that they are within our reach.
The medicines industry takes its responsibilities in the fight against cancer very seriously. Almost one third of the more than three-thousand
medicines presently in clinical development worldwide are in oncology.
Working on new innovative treatments and medicines to improve the survival rate of cancer-related deaths is a top priority, especially…
News and Updates
Australian cancer patients in deadly wait for new medicines - 26 February
Australian cancer patients don’t have time to wait for access to new cancer medicines.
Australian patients wait longer for access to new cancer medicines compared to patients in other parts of the world, such as the United Kingdom, Canada, France and Germany.
“Australia is the cancer capital of the world. We are now living much longer, due to a variety of reasons, including good public health policy and extraordinary new treatments. It is also now likely that half of all Australians will develop cancer in their lifetime and one in five will die from it,” Medicines Australia CEO, Tim James, said.
Access, Value and Investment: The key for Australian patients and the future of the medicines Industry - 12 February
Medicines Australia has lodged a submission to the 2015-16 Federal Budget.
In the Submission, Medicines Australia calls on the Australian Government to recognise the ongoing sustainability of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), resulting from reforms introduced in collaboration with the industry.
Medicines Australia also seeks a commitment to grow the investment opportunities for innovation and research in the pharmaceutical sector, in addition to recognising the broader value of medicines to patients and society.
Medicines Australia congratulates outgoing PBAC Chair on her new role at WHO - 5 February
Medicines Australia CEO, Tim James, congratulates Dr Suzanne Hill, Chair of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC), on her new role with the World Health Organization.
Today the Minister for Health, the Hon Sussan Ley MP, announced that Dr Hill will step down from her role as Chair of the PBAC following the March PBAC meeting.
“On behalf of the innovative pharmaceutical industry in Australia I would like to wish Dr Hill well as she embarks on her new role at the WHO,” Mr James said.
The PBS is a sustainable, valuable & cost-effective investment in Australia’s future health and prosperity - 4 February
Medicines Australia’s critical analysis of successive Intergenerational Reports (IGR) demonstrates that previous successive IGRs seriously overestimated PBS expenditure as a proportion of GDP, and highlights the pitfalls of ignoring significant reforms undertaken in the prescription medicines sector over the last decade.
“Analysis released today confirms that the PBS is sustainable and is well placed to meet the needs of an ageing population,” Medicines Australia CEO, Mr Tim James, said.
“Medicines listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) continue to be a valuable and a cost-effective investment in Australia’s health, wealth and prosperity.
