Innovative medicines industry welcomes Governments commitment to ensure Australians get the latest cancer medicines.

Medicines Australia (MA), welcomes the Australian Government response to the Senate Community Affairs References Committee Report: Availability of new, innovative and specialist cancer drugs in Australia.

MA members discover, develop and manufacture the latest medicines that are made available to those who need them on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).  They also undertake around one thousand clinical trials locally that support the development of new medicines and provide 34 thousand Australians with early access to the latest treatments, including for cancers.

We’re committed to working together with the Government to ensure that access to new innovative medicines remains the highest priority.

It’s encouraging that the Government agrees that improving and streamlining existing regulatory and assessment processes for new medicines are key strategies to ensure Australians have even better access to breakthrough medicines.

As the Government notes in their response, some of the Senate inquiry’s recommendations are currently being addressed through reforms of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

In particular, we look forward to the passage of legislation currently before Parliament that includes provisions for another expedited pathway called Provisional Approval that aims to speed up access to new medicines.

The Government’s response also highlights the importance of the Strategic Agreement, signed with Medicines Australia, to address some of the recommendations of the Senate inquiry.

Not only does the Agreement provide $1.8 billion in savings on PBS listed medicines that will be used to pay for new treatments, the Government has committed to reform that will improve and accelerate processes that lead to a medicine being made available on the PBS.

Medicines Australia believes that the Government’s commitment in the Strategic Agreement will make a real difference to access to medicines for Australians.

We’re committed to continuing collaborative discussions with the Government about the future of the PBS and the improved availability of breakthrough medicines to Australians at a price they can afford.

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More information – Natalie Wimmer, Manager Media and Communications –
0450 728 660 – nwimmer@medaus.com.au