Medicines Australia appoints new Director of Policy and External Engagement
13 August 2026: Medicines Australia is pleased to announce the appointment of Jodie Wilson as the Director of Policy and External Engagement.
Jodie joins Medicines Australia from member company AbbVie and is a senior pharmaceutical executive with extensive experience across market access, health economics, pricing, reimbursement and policy in Australia and internationally.
Most recently, Jodie was Director, Market Access Immunology for AbbVie’s Intercontinental region, working across diverse healthcare systems and markets. Prior to this, she led Market Access and Health Economics in Australia, with responsibility spanning reimbursement strategy, pricing, health economics and policy, and led a team of market access and health economics professionals.
Jodie has worked closely with government, industry, clinicians and other healthcare stakeholders on complex reimbursement, policy and patient access issues. She has also contributed to Medicines Australia initiatives, including its Biosimilars Working Group and the Health Economics Working Group.
“Medicines Australia is privileged to have Jodie join the team at this crucial time, with the industry strongly advocating for real reforms to improve the way new, innovative medicines are listed on the PBS and with the negotiations for the next Strategic Agreement starting shortly,” said Medicines Australia CEO Liz de Somer.
“At this critical juncture for the industry, Jodie’s addition to the team will support our efforts to improve access to life-saving medicines for Australian patients.”
Jodie starts with Medicines Australia on 17 August 2026.
Australian patients missing three-quarters of new medicines
20 July 2026: Only 25 per cent of medicines launched globally over the past decade have been listed for government subsidised access in Australia – leaving Australian patients with the ‘bitter pill’ of the three-quarters that are missing. The paltry approval rate compares with 88 per cent in the United States and 46 per cent in the United Kingdom.
A new report from Medicines Australia ‘Bitter Pill: How Australian patients are missing out on the latest medical breakthroughs’, for the first time identifies 18 specific medicines that want to be listed in Australia but have been deterred by torturous processes and declining investment in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
The missing medicines – that are already available to patients overseas but remain unavailable in Australia – include for cancer, mental illness, cardiology, immunology, rare diseases and infectious disease.
Among the case studies are the first new schizophrenia treatment in a generation, a radiopharmaceutical for advanced prostate cancer, treatments for a rare form of haemophilia, an important intervention for narcolepsy sufferers and vaccines against RSV and meningococcal B, that aren’t available to all at risk populations — real examples of what the reimbursement gap means for hundreds of thousands of Australians.
Medicines Australia CEO Elizabeth de Somer said the 18 missing medicines showed Australia had gone from a global leader to a laggard in funding new medicines.
“The real number of missing medicines is likely to be much, much higher, but these 18 medicines should be all the proof anyone needs that health standards in Australia are slipping and that is due to one thing – chronic underinvestment in the PBS.”
“Only one in four medicines launched globally in the past decade has made it onto the PBS. That statistic alone should be a wake-up call, but this report shows what it actually means for patients and their doctors,” Ms de Somer said.
“This is not a hypothetical anymore. It is a bitter pill to swallow for patients with schizophrenia, prostate cancer, Crohn’s disease and rare conditions who are missing out on treatments already helping people elsewhere.
“I think if the public knew just how many innovative medicines are now bypassing Australia because of an outdated process, they would be justifiably alarmed. The time for Government to see higher spending on innovative medicines as a cost and not as a long-term investment must finish.”
The report finds the primary driver of the widening access gap is a decade of underinvestment in innovative medicines through the PBS. Net investment in innovative (F1) medicines has fallen from 6.2 per cent to 4.1 per cent of the total health budget since 2015-16, while the likelihood a new medicine is reimbursed in Australia within two years of US approval has fallen from 1 in 5 to just 1 in 10.
Tina Powney, who lives with pulmonary arterial hypertension, said that knowing that new treatments exist gives patients hope, but that hope quickly turns to disappointment when those treatments remain out of reach because they aren’t funded.
“People often take simple things for granted—going for a swim, camping with family, travelling or even leaving the house without carrying life-sustaining equipment. Living with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension means those simple moments become enormous challenges. Access to innovative medicines isn’t just about living longer; it’s about giving people the chance to live more freely,” Ms Powney said.
Ms de Somer said: “We have seen a decade of decline in funding for innovative medicines in the PBS. That is the heart of this problem.”
“On top of that, Australia’s health technology assessment system is slow, rigid and complex, adding further delay. The 2024 HTA Review set out a clear roadmap to fix this, with more than 50 recommendations, but implementation has stalled and needs to be prioritised.”
The flow-on impact of this access gap is clear: more and more Australians are having to self-fund medicines that aren’t listed on the PBS. A recent McKell Institute survey found 43 per cent of Australians have been prescribed a medicine by their doctor that was not on the PBS, and 29 per cent have had to pay for a non-PBS-listed prescription medicine in the past three years, creating financial hardship.
Clinicians are feeling the impact too, often forced to substitute or make do with older, less effective treatments when the newest therapies are simply not available to prescribe.
Medicines Australia is calling on the Federal Government to act on two priorities: real, sustained growth in PBS investment in future budgets, and the timely, transparent implementation of the 2024 HTA Review.
Media Contact: Liam Houlihan, Director of Public Affairs and Government Relations – 0438 366 400 media@medicinesaustralia.com.au
ABOUT MEDICINES AUSTRALIA
Medicines Australia leads the research-based medicines industry of Australia. Our members discover, develop and manufacture prescription pharmaceutical products, biotherapeutic products and vaccines that bring health, social and economic benefits to Australia. Our members invest in Australian medical research and take local discoveries and developments to the world.
National Paediatric Oncology Roundtable Calls for Action to Strengthen Industry-Led Clinical Trials
14 July 2026: Australia has the opportunity to build on its strengths in paediatric cancer research and become a leading destination for industry-sponsored paediatric oncology clinical trials, according to participants at a national multi-stakeholder roundtable convened by Oncology Industry Taskforce, Medicines Australia in partnership with the Children’s Cancer Institute at the Minderoo Children’s Comprehensive Cancer Centre.
The roundtable brought together stakeholders from across government, industry, clinical care, research and patient advocacy to identify practical actions to strengthen Australia’s paediatric oncology clinical trial ecosystem.
The paediatric oncology stakeholder roundtable brought together thirteen representatives from government, industry, clinical care, research and patient advocacy to discuss the changes needed to attract greater investment in paediatric oncology clinical trials and improve access to innovative therapies for Australian children and young people with cancer.
Discussions focused on identifying opportunities to strengthen Australia’s competitiveness as a clinical trial destination and create a more coordinated environment for paediatric oncology research. Participants considered a range of factors influencing industry investment, including regulatory and reimbursement frameworks, commercial incentives, clinical trial infrastructure, patient recruitment, and trial delivery.
Australia is recognised internationally for its high-quality clinical research, strong paediatric oncology networks and national precision medicine initiatives. However, stakeholders noted that paediatric oncology presents unique challenges, including small patient populations, global competition for trial investment, and the complexity of generating evidence in rare childhood cancers.
Participants also highlighted opportunities to build on recent national reforms and strategic initiatives, including health technology assessment reforms, the Childhood and AYA Cancer Roadmap, and the National Health and Medical Research Strategy. Stakeholders emphasised the importance of aligning future actions with existing policy momentum to strengthen Australia’s paediatric oncology clinical trial environment.
A Shared Vision for Growth
Roundtable participants discussed the policy settings, infrastructure and collaborations needed to enhance Australia’s attractiveness for industry-sponsored paediatric oncology trials and support better outcomes for children and families.
Key themes included: – Supporting a more predictable and efficient regulatory and reimbursement environment; – Strengthening incentives that encourage investment in paediatric oncology clinical trials; – Enhancing national coordination of research, trial delivery and patient recruitment; – Leveraging Australia’s clinical, research and precision medicine capabilities; and – Improving pathways that enable children and young people to access innovative therapies and clinical trials.
Liz de Somer, Chief Executive Officer of Medicines Australia, said:
“Australia has many of the foundations needed to be a leader in paediatric oncology research, but continued collaboration across government, industry, clinicians, researchers and patient advocates will be essential to realise that potential. Through this roundtable, stakeholders have identified opportunities to strengthen Australia’s clinical trial environment and support greater investment in research that can help improve outcomes for children and young people with cancer.”
Insights from the roundtable will contribute to the development of a collaborative policy white paper informed by stakeholders across government, industry, research, clinical care and patient advocacy. The white paper will outline practical recommendations to support industry-sponsored paediatric oncology clinical trials in Australia.
Participants agreed that improving outcomes for children with cancer requires a coordinated approach that brings together policymakers, researchers, clinicians, industry and patient organisations to address barriers and build on Australia’s existing strengths.
Medicines Australia leads the research-based medicines industry of Australia. Our members discover, develop and manufacture prescription pharmaceutical products, biotherapeutic products and vaccines that bring health, social and economic benefits to Australia. Our members invest in Australian medical research and take local discoveries and developments to the world.
Productivity gains lost as Australians wait years for access to innovative cancer medicines
23 June 2026
Medicines Australia Oncology Industry Taskforce
A major new report has found Australia is missing significant productivity, workforce and economic benefits because cancer patients are waiting years to access innovative medicines already available in comparable countries.
Released today by Community and Patient Preference Research (CaPPRe) on behalf of the Medicines Australia Oncology Industry Taskforce, The Real Value of Innovative Cancer Treatments: The Impact of Timely Access on Productivity and the Lives of Australians report highlights how delays in access to innovative cancer medicines are creating avoidable costs for patients, families, employers, the healthcare system and the broader economy.
The report builds on the recent Productivity Commission finding that innovative cancer therapies are a major contributor to Australia’s productivity growth. According to the Commission’s research, healthcare productivity has grown by around 3 per cent annually, and new cancer therapies are a major contributor to that growth, primarily through improved survival and quality of life outcomes.[1]
Yet despite the proven value of innovation, Australians currently wait an average of 3.6 years for funded Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) access to medicines available overseas, with only one in four new medicines available in OECD countries being funded in Australia.[2]
Medicines Australia CEO Liz de Somer said Australia could not afford to ignore the productivity consequences of delayed access.
“When people can access effective cancer treatments in a timely way, they are more likely to be able to remain in work, care for their families, contribute to their communities and avoid costly hospitalisations,” Ms de Somer said.
“But when access is delayed, the consequences extend well beyond health outcomes. Productivity is lost, workforce participation declines and families are placed under significant and often sustained financial pressure.
“This challenge is becoming increasingly important as around 40 per cent of Australians diagnosed with cancer are of working age. Almost half leave the labour force following diagnosis, contributing to an estimated $1.7 billion in lost productivity each year,” said Ms de Somer.[3]
With around 170,000 Australians diagnosed with cancer each year,[4] the report argues the consequences of delayed access to innovative cancer treatments are being felt not only by patients and their families, but also employers and the broader economy.
One patient interviewed for the report said whilst she waited for access to treatment: “My husband had used up sick leave, annual leave, long service leave. My siblings had used up their sick leave, and my parents had used up their sick leave with attempts to manage caring responsibilities. My mum stepped down to part-time work and then left her career.”
Medical oncologist Professor Tim Price says delays in access to treatment can create ripple effects throughout families and the workforce: “I very often have patients who actually are the childcare providers for their family. If the grandparents are unable to provide that childcare, then it has a flow-on effect.”
The report also highlights growing evidence that innovative cancer medicines can improve productivity by helping Australians remain healthy enough to participate in work, caregiving and community life.
Patients interviewed described returning to work, maintaining highly specialised careers, supporting family members and re-engaging with their communities because of access to innovative treatments.
One patient said: “I was very grateful to be able to return to work and I feel like I really do contribute to the Australian community. I’m one of only 60 people in Australia currently with my qualification.”
Health economist Associate Professor Colman Taylor says the value of innovative medicines extends beyond traditional healthcare measures: “When you broaden the perspective and include things like productivity, what often happens is the economic proposition becomes very positive very quickly.”
Ms de Somer said the evidence for reform is compelling.
“Australia’s health technology assessment and reimbursement framework must evolve to better recognise the broader productivity and societal benefits of innovative medicines and ensure Australians can access new treatments sooner,” Ms de Somer said.
“The government’s own Productivity Commission has recommended faster access to pharmaceutical and medical technologies to ensure the ‘diffusion of new treatments remains a positive contributor to productivity growth’. This report demonstrates what that means in practice for Australian patients, families and workplaces.
New Report: Waitlist for life-saving medicines extends to years for Australian consumers and patients
18 May 2026: Australians are increasingly being pushed to the back of the global queue for innovative medicines, with patients now waiting an average of 3.6 years for access to treatments already available overseas.
A new report from Medicines Australia – Access Denied– warns the nation is slipping behind comparable countries as patients wait years for innovative medicines to receive PBS funding as bureaucratic delays balloon, leading some drug innovators to abandon the jurisdiction.
The report, which is the result of consultation with more than 30 of the top global innovative medicine companies, also reveals:
Only 26 per cent of new medicines available in comparable OECD countries were funded in Australia.
‘Failure to list’ is resulting in out-of-pocket costs for nearly one in two Australians, with 43 per cent of Australians prescribed medicines not listed on the PBS.
There is a ‘chilling effect’ on local access to groundbreaking new medicines with 84 per cent of pharmaceutical companies say Australia is becoming a lower priority launch market.
Access Denied warns Australia’s medicines system and the PBS has failed to keep pace with rapid global changes in how new medicines are developed, funded and launched.
It also warns new US ‘Most Favoured Nation’ pricing policies have reshaped the global medicines market, making countries like Australia less attractive for early medicine launches.
The report highlights several examples where innovative medicines and vaccines available internationally – including an ulcerative colitis drug, meningococcal B vaccine and GLP-1 medicines – have not received listing on the PBS in Australia due to the malfunctioning HTA system leaving patients with costly or no access.
The perfect storm of these two pressures is increasing delays, reducing Australia’s attractiveness as an early launch market, and raising fears patients will increasingly miss out on new treatments altogether.
“The PBS remains one of Australia’s greatest public policy achievements, but the world has changed dramatically since it was designed,” Medicines Australia Chief Executive Officer, Ms de Somer said.
“Parts of the system that once worked well are crumbling under their own growing complexity.”
“At the same time medicines are becoming more targeted, more personalised and more complex, while global competition for investment and access is intensifying.”
“Without reform, Australians risk falling further behind comparable countries in gaining access to the latest treatments.”
A recent Medicines Australia survey found 84 per cent of the companies they represent reported Australia is becoming a lower priority country for launching new medicines. A significant proportion (79%) described their company as ‘very concerned’ about the effects of US policies.
The Chair of Patients Australia Michele Robbins said, “For Australians living with serious, life-threatening or debilitating illness, waiting years for medicines already available overseas is far too long.
“Patients know these treatments exist. They see the stories online, connect through support groups and watch people in other countries gain access while they continue to wait. Some Australians are also now dipping into their life savings, accessing their superannuation, increasing their mortgage or take on debt in the hope of accessing treatment privately.
“We are drifting towards a two-tiered system where access depends on financial means rather than medical need. This is not the Australian way and people are being left behind.”
Other countries are responding to these challenges to protect medicines access for the community. As part of the US–UK Economic Prosperity Deal, brokered off the back of MFN, the UK committed to doubling spending on new medicines as a share of GDP from 0.3 per cent in 2026 to 0.6 per cent by 2036, with an expected increase in the health budget spend from 10 per cent in 2026 to 12 per cent by 2036.
This increase in spending by the UK can be contrasted to Australia. The recent Budget 2026-27 shows that ongoing investment into the PBS, and health generally, over the forward years is decreasing as a proportion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Without an increase in PBS spending as a proportion of GDP, Australia is almost guaranteed to fall even further behind the world when it comes to new medicines.
“It is incredibly difficult to live with a condition knowing that treatments exist overseas but cannot be accessed here in Australia. We see the impact these medicines have on social media and hear how they are changing lives, but we are constantly left waiting,” said Dr Aaron Schokman, Research Fellow at the University of Medicine said.
Owen Smith, General Manager, Australia & New Zealand, Bristol Myers Squibb, said “As the Government has made clear in the Budget last week, politics is about making choices. And when it comes to Medicines Policy, the choice they are making is to deny or delay Australian citizens access to the latest, most valuable medicines. Other countries are making different choices, investing more in new medicines and reforming their systems to keep pace with scientific breakthroughs. That’s a political choice. And we need an urgent public debate about whether it’s the right one for Australia.”
Medicines Australia said the next Strategic Agreement negotiations represented a critical opportunity for government and industry to modernise the PBS and ensure Australians are not left behind as global competition for innovative medicines intensifies.
Budget ignores life-changing new and future medicines despite global challenges
12 May 2026: Medicines Australia is gravely concerned that the 2026–27 Federal Budget has not included a funded plan to implement long-awaited improvements to patient and consumer access to new and innovative medicines, and a key pathway for these reforms – Australia’s Health Technology Assessment (HTA) system.
Long-held fears over the vitality and speed of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) have been deepened by growing international uncertainty created by the United States’ proposed Most Favoured Nations (MFN) pricing policy. Without a timely, clear and coordinated response, there is a real risk Australian patients and consumers become victims of a less attractive market for the development and launch of new and innovative medicines and therapies.
While the PBS remains one of Australia’s most important public health programs, the system used to assess and list medicines has not undergone substantial reform in more than 30 years. As a result, Australian patients are increasingly waiting longer for access to innovative treatments that are available in comparable countries – or missing out entirely.
Despite years of reviews, expert consultation and consensus-driven recommendations, the Budget contains no meaningful funding commitment or progress on implementation of HTA reform. Failure to further invest – at a time other countries are increasing their funding of new medicines – will ultimately come at a cost to patients and consumers.
While Medicines Australia acknowledges the headline $5.9 billion (on which the Government will be rebated billions from industry) to cover recently listed PBS medicines, the reality is that the 2026-27 Budget shows that ongoing investment into the PBS – and health generally – over the forward years is set to decline as a proportion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Without an increase in PBS spending as a proportion of GDP, system challenges will remain in ensuring access to new and innovative medicines by Australian patients.
(Source: Budget Paper 1; MA analysis)
Medicines Australia understands that with the ongoing cost-of-living challenge that Australian families face that efforts to keep the price of medicines down are a priority, the fact remains that without further reforms to the HTA, Australians will simply struggle to access the new and innovative medicines that will make a difference to their health.
(Source: Budget Paper 1)
We urge the government to prioritise the accessibility and availability of new medicines at the forefront of reforms to the PBS rather than simply treading water.
As part of Budget 2026-27, we welcome the creation of a National Science and Resilience Council but emphasise the need for a medicines industry representative to be included in the Health working group.
Increased spending through the Medical Research Future Fund is welcomed along with the contributions to the National One Stop Shop and a not-for-profit clinical trials program. But they are no substitute for the broad funding and structural reform the PBS so badly needs.
Medicines Australia remains committed to working constructively with the Australian Government and Health Minister Mark Butler to modernise Australia’s medicines system and ensure patients have timely access to the treatments they need. However, there are deepening concerns about the pace and priority being given to improving patient access to innovative medicines in an uncertain world.
From 2014-2019, there was, on average, a delay of 391 days between the TGA deeming a new medicine as safe and effective and Australians receiving subsidised access to it. From 2016-2021, this delay increased by 19 per cent, jumping up to an average of 466 days.
Quotes attributable to the Chief Executive Officer of Medicines Australia, Liz de Somer:
“Medicines Australia understands that Australia is facing a number of substantial economic challenges but there should always be room in the federal Budget to improve access for patients to new and innovative medicines.”
“Australia should be proud of the PBS and the role it plays in ensuring affordable access to medicines, but the system supporting it has not kept pace with advances in medical innovation.”
“Patients are waiting too long for access to new treatments, and without meaningful reform to the HTA system we risk falling further behind comparable countries.”
“The emergence of international pricing policies such as the United States’ Most Favoured Nations proposal creates additional uncertainty for global medicine investment and launches.”
“Australia cannot assume it will automatically remain an early access market for innovative medicines. Maintaining that position requires a modern, efficient and globally competitive system.”
“We stand ready to continue working constructively with Government to ensure Australians can access the medicines and therapies they need, when they need them.”
ENDS
BACKGROUND ONLY
Reform of the HTA to ensure medicines are listed on the PBS – it’s time to take action.
It has been five years since the 2021 New Frontiers report the growing concerns with Australia’s PBS including outdated methods, policies and processes, and highlighted that patients are waiting too long to access new, innovative and life changing treatments.
The 2023, the HTA Policy and Methods Review reiterated these issues and developed 50, consensus driven, recommendations derived from hundreds of submissions from thousands of patients and clinicians, as well as industry and government stakeholders.
The 2024 Productivity Commission report Advances in measuring healthcare productivity states that Australia gets relatively good and increasing value for its healthcare dollar, putting productivity gains at around 3 per cent.
The 2024, independently chaired Implementation Advisory Group spent another year developing a Roadmap to assist the Government to implement the HTA Review recommendations, which was delivered in 2025.
Then recently, the Department of Health has engaged in another round of unnecessary consultation, without seeking advice from the industry through Medicines Australia. While consultation is critical, it is just as important that extra hurdles are not created as to prevent action being taken quickly or using extra consultation as a barrier to implementing the already-agreed to HTA reforms.
Ahead of the 2026 Budget, the Medicines Australia Pre-Budget Submission made four recommendations to Government for consideration to help drive greater access to new medicines:
Increase investment in innovative medicines and implement HTA reform
Focus on reforming lowest cost comparator and discount rate applied to appropriately value innovative medicines
Continue to drive NOSS to boost research ecosystem for innovative medicines
How spending on the PBS is accounted for in the federal Budget:
Spending on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is accounted for in the federal Budget as a demand-driven expense, with costs based on the volume of subsidised prescriptions and listing of new medicines.
PBS expenditure is reported on an accrual basis, reflecting the cost of medicines supplied in the financial year.
PBS expenditure is not explicitly capped, meaning spending can rise with increased demand and the addition of new, often high-cost, drugs, although the government projects these costs as a steady percentage of GDP.
PBS expenditure is reported in MYEFO and the annual federal Budget.
It is reported through Department of Health and Aged Care Portfolio Budget Statements
Australians are missing out
Only around 27 percent of globally supplied innovative medicines are made available to Australians via the PBS.
Medicines Australia leads the research-based medicines industry of Australia. Our members discover, develop and manufacture prescription pharmaceutical products, biotherapeutic products and vaccines that bring health, social and economic benefits to Australia. Our members invest in Australian medical research and take local discoveries and developments to the world.
1 May 2026: Medicines Australia has welcomed four new Directors to its Board after an election process held during April.
Dr. Manny Simons (Lilly), Ms. Chifumi Umeda (MSD), Mr. Andrew Thomas (GSK) and Ms. Selina Clifford (UCB), have been elected to join the Medicines Australia Board.
The outgoing directors include Tori Brown (Lilly), Gabi Mittas (Amgen), Anne Harris (Pfizer) and Nirelle Tolstoshev (Astellas).
Chair and Director of Medicines Australia, Sue MacLeman, warmly welcomes the newly elected Directors.
“On behalf of the Board and the Medicines Australia membership, I congratulate the newly appointed Directors,” Ms MacLeman said.
“This new Board brings together leaders from across the innovative medicines sector at a time when collaboration and unity have never been more important. With major workflows underway the Board’s role is to provide clear strategic direction and steady leadership. We must all work together to ensure Australians can continue to benefit from new, innovative medicines.”
There will be opportunity to celebrate and present the new Directors formally to members in May at the MA Federal Budget Member Briefing.
Liz de Somer, Chief Executive Officer of Medicines Australia, said: “I am looking forward to working closely with the new Medicines Australia Board and all of our members, as we continue to strive for Australians to have access to the best available medicines when they need them through a stronger PBS that is faster, fairer and fit for the future.”
“We sincerely thank the outgoing Directors for their leadership, and for bringing valuable experience and insight to the Board. We are very grateful for their service and contributions,” said Ms MacLeman.
Medicines Australia appoints Director of Public Affairs and Government Relations
21 April 2026: Medicines Australia is very pleased to announce the appointment of Liam Houlihan as its new Director of Public Affairs and Government Relations, bringing significant senior political capability and editorial news experience to the organisation.
Liam has extensive expertise in health policy as the Chief of Staff to The Hon. Bill Shorten from 2019 to 2024. During this period, Mr Shorten was a member of Federal Cabinet holding the portfolios of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and Government Services.
Liam is also an award-winning journalist and author. Prior to his position as the Chief of Staff, Liam worked as Editor for News Corp, leading the prestigious news banners – as a News Editor of the Herald Sun and the Editor of the Geelong Advertiser. For the last 18 months he was contracted to manage Government Services for a Top 100 ASX Company.
“We are thrilled to have someone of Liam’s calibre join the Medicines Australia team. His direct experience and responsibilities working in a senior role for a Cabinet Minister, together with his news media background, brings a very senior and unique skillset to Medicines Australia,” said Medicines Australia CEO Liz de Somer.
This is an extremely important time for us as an organisation and adding further senior talent to the team is our priority to secure greater patient access to new and innovative medicines,” she adds.
Medicines Australia firmly oppose US tariffs on pharmaceuticals
3 April 2026: Medicines Australia and our members support free, fair, and open trade and firmly oppose the proposed introduction of 100% tariffs on Australian branded and patented medicines exported to the US.
“Decades of decline in local manufacturing means the companies Medicines Australia represents do not significantly export to the US. Our understanding also is that CSL will be exempt for 2026. So proposed Tariffs are more likely to impact a relatively small number of Australian companies seeking opportunity in the US market,” states Liz de Somer, CEO.
According to Australian Government data, Australia has a pharmaceutical trade deficit with the US. In 2025, Australia exported around A$1.91 billion in pharmaceutical products to the United States (US) but imported A$3.34 billion.
“As an industry, we are more concerned with President Trump’s Most Favoured Nation reference pricing benchmark proposal as Australia currently has some of the lowest pharmaceutical prices, compared to other OECD countries,” adds Ms de Somer.
“This is already impacting Australian patients’ access to new innovative treatments, with companies introducing revised global policies which are slowing down new innovative products launching in Australia and exacerbating further delays to listings on the PBS.
“Some countries like the UK, EU and Japan have now undertaken negotiations with the US Administration to address both tariffs and US reference pricing policies. We must now consider the consequences of not addressing these global developments.”
As stated by the Hon Minister Butler this week, the Productivity Commission confirms the 3 per cent a year increase in health productivity is due to improvements in treatment quality — particularly the growing impact of modern medicines that help people recover faster, avoid complications, and stay well for longer.
“This confirms the need to invest in innovative medicines for Australian patients and their families. It has been 30 years since the PBS has been reviewed and updated. We urgently need to move forward with proposed reform recommendations to our Health Technology Assessment (HTA) which includes the PBS,” adds Ms de Somer.
“There is no time to wait. We started this process several years ago and need to work together now to ensure the PBS is faster, fairer and fitter for our future,” she adds.
About Medicines Australia: Medicines Australia leads the research-based pharmaceutical industry of Australia. Our members discover, develop and manufacture the medicines that are the foundation of a healthy and prosperous society, including prescription pharmaceutical products, biotherapeutic products and vaccines. Our members invest in Australian medical research and take local discoveries and developments to the world.
02 April 2026: Medicines Australia is pleased to announce the appointment of Jonathan Hawkes as its new Senior Media Advisor, strengthening the organisation’s media and communications capacities.
Jonathan brings strong media and public affairs expertise from roles including Senior Media Advisor for Senator The Hon Bridget McKenzie, Director of Public Affairs and Campaign Manager for the Minerals Council of Australia and as Federal Director of The Nationals. He has managed many high-profile campaigns and communications projects and is pleased to join Medicines Australia.
“We are delighted to welcome Jonathan to Medicines Australia. Jonathan’s appointment will help further build the capacity of Medicines Australia to advocate for a stronger health system, providing more Australians with access to new, innovative medicines,” said Medicines Australia CEO, Liz de Somer.
About Medicines Australia: Medicines Australia leads the research-based pharmaceutical industry of Australia. Our members discover, develop and manufacture the medicines that are the foundation of a healthy and prosperous society, including prescription pharmaceutical products, biotherapeutic products and vaccines. Our members invest in Australian medical research and take local discoveries and developments to the world.
