The medicines industry will offer Australia significant strategic and economic advantages in a post-mining boom future, Medicines Australia chief executive Dr Brendan Shaw told the National Press Club today.

Dr Shaw said that with the right policy settings to encourage innovation, research and manufacturing the medicines industry could capitalise on its advantages.

“At a time when Australia is debating the future of manufacturing in this country, we have, right under our noses, an industry that already delivers so much to the community and economy through jobs, skills, wages, exports and R&D,” Dr Shaw said.

“It is an industry that has an excellent industrial relations record and generates good exports, foreign investment, high-skill, high wage-jobs and some of the best scientific minds in the world.

“It is an industry that has a low carbon footprint for the economic growth it generates.

“It is a perfect industry for a country that is trying to develop a smart, high-wage, high-skill, innovative, low carbon economy.

“If we are serious about building on the industrial capability we already have in this country, we should be backing Australia’s medicines industry and encouraging it to reach its potential.

“We have the people, the skills, the ideas, the research, the infrastructure, the companies, the history and the critical mass to take the next steps and make Australia a key niche player in the global medicines industry.”

However, Dr Shaw warned that the medicines industry in Australia was under challenge, and needed supportive policy settings.

“After much growth through the 1990s and first half of the 2000s, exports have stalled at $4 billion a year and R&D has plateaued at $1 billion a year,” Dr Shaw said.

“Incredibly, while the rest of the world is seeing growth in the number of clinical trials being performed to test new medicines, the number of new trials in Australia has fallen for the last three years by an average of 13 per cent a year. That’s not sustainable.

“We can develop this industry even further into one of the key Australian high-tech industries to help set up a post mining-boom future. But we need the right policies.”

The full text of Dr Shaw’s address to the National Press Club is available here

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Contact Person:

Jamie Nicholson
Media Communications Manager
Phone: 0419 220 293
Email: Jamie.Nicholson@medicinesaustralia.com.au

A consortium of pharmaceutical companies working with NGOs to combat the rise of HIV/AIDS in Papua New Guinea has won the 2011 Pat Clear Award – the Australian medicines industry’s most prestigious accolade.

The Collaboration for Health in PNG brings together six companies currently: Pfizer, MSD, Janssen, GlaxoSmithKline, Boehringer-Ingelheim and Gilead.

Through the consortium, more than 50,000 people in Papua New Guinea have accessed professional counseling and 3000 are currently receiving HIV care.

Medicines Australia chief executive Dr Brendan Shaw congratulated the consortium and said it was a highly deserving recipient of the award.

“The Collaboration for Health in PNG is making a material difference to the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS in Papua New Guinea,” Dr Shaw said.

“Over the last decade a number of Australia’s medicines companies have been diligently working with health groups to improve HIV/AIDS health outcomes in PNG.

“The awarding of the Pat Clear Award to the people and companies involved in this is recognition of that hard work.

“This is one of the ways in which the Australian medicines industry is responding to healthcare problems on our doorstep and working hard to help provide solutions.

“This group of companies has made a concerted effort to support the training of healthcare professionals in PNG and help ensure patients receive effective treatment.”

The Collaboration for Health in PNG has been working with not-for-profit organisations in Papua New Guinea since 2003 and has provided workshops for 250 doctors, nurses, health administrators, counsellors and lab technicians.

The Collaboration works closely with the National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS and the Australasian Society for HIV Medicine. Since 2008 more than 10 Australian HIV specialists have mentored 80 colleagues from Papua New Guinea on HIV/AIDS treatment and care.

The Pat Clear Award recognises outstanding levels of commitment by an individual, group or team for the benefit of the Australian medicines industry.

The award was established in 2002 to commemorate the substantial contribution Mr Clear made to the medicines industry in Australia during his 40-year career.

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Contact Person:

Jamie Nicholson
Media Communications Manager
Phone: 0419 220 293
Email: Jamie.Nicholson@medicinesaustralia.com.au

A new voluntary database to enable the sharing of intellectual property for R&D on medicines and vaccines will encourage the development of new medicines and vaccines to combat neglected tropical diseases, Medicines Australia chief executive Dr Brendan Shaw said today.

WIPO Re:Search was launched today in Geneva by the World Intellectual Property Organisation.

Dr Shaw said the database will give scientists access to intellectual property such as clinical trial data and technical knowhow needed to develop medicines and vaccines for diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, dengue fever and cholera.

“This is a groundbreaking initiative to support innovation in medicines and vaccines for diseases that afflict millions of people in the developing world,” Dr Shaw said.

“Research-based pharmaceutical companies globally have joined this initiative and committed to sharing their intellectual property assets and technical expertise.

“Ultimately this initiative makes it easier for companies to develop new medicines and vaccines for neglected tropical diseases.

“It will allow the medicines industry, international organisations, NGOs and academics to work together to improve the lives of people in developing countries.

“This collaboration links global health researchers and scientists at pharmaceutical companies in the fight against diseases that disproportionately impact the world’s poorest populations.”

The development of the WIPO Re:Search database was flagged by the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organisation, Dr Francis Gurry, in a keynote speech at the Medicines Australia parliamentary dinner in March this year.

The research-based pharmaceutical industry is the third largest funder of R&D for neglected tropical diseases, and contributed 75 per cent of the R&D funding for tuberculosis, malaria and dengue fever in 2009.

Intellectual property licensed via the new WIPO Re:Search initiative will be made available royalty-free for R&D for neglected tropical diseases in any country.

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Contact Person:

Jamie Nicholson
Media Communications Manager
Phone: 0419 220 293
Email: Jamie.Nicholson@medicinesaustralia.com.au

Patient support programs play a key role in supporting the quality use of medicines and ensuring patients’ health is improved, Medicines Australia chief executive Dr Brendan Shaw said today.

Dr Shaw was responding to recent public criticisms of patient support programs.

“For years, government and other health sector stakeholders have been saying medicines companies should do more to promote the quality use of medicines to patients,” Dr Shaw said.

“These patient support programs respond to those calls.

“Consumers value these programs because they provide information at precisely the time when consumers want to take greater control of their health.

“These programs are provided by prescription medicine companies after a doctor has already prescribed a medicine.

“Programs that help patients understand their condition and better manage their health, or encourage adherence to the medicines they have been prescribed, can be extremely helpful.

“These kinds of programs are common. They are run ethically and play a key role in supporting the quality use of medicines. They complement the important roles of the doctors and pharmacists. They don’t replace them.

Dr Shaw said patient support programs were very different from the offer Blackmores made to pharmacists.

“Patient support programs are not designed to increase sales. They are designed to drive better health outcomes,” Dr Shaw said.

“While there is no cost to patients, there is an administrative task for healthcare professionals to enrol patients in these programs and it’s entirely reasonable that they should be remunerated in a way that’s commensurate with the work undertaken.

“The Medicines Australia Code of Conduct has detailed provisions on how such programs should be administered and recognises that they offer important support to patients, and have an a key role to play in delivering positive health outcomes.”

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Contact Person:

Jamie Nicholson
Media Communications Manager
Phone: 0419 220 293
Email: Jamie.Nicholson@medicinesaustralia.com.au

The Australian medicines industry’s R&D investment has exceeded $1 billion for the second successive year, according to the annual Australian Bureau of Statistics business expenditure report on R&D released today.

The ABS figures show that the medicines industry attracted $1.002 billion in R&D investment in 2009-10. The medicines industry’s R&D investment was the third largest by area of business expenditure, behind financial services and mining.

Medicines Australia chief executive Dr Brendan Shaw said the ABS data highlighted the value of the Australian medicines industry to the national economy.

“These figures confirm Australia’s reputation as a global centre for R&D excellence,” Dr Shaw said.

“This is a strong performance and we can consolidate it if we continue to take steps towards maintaining Australia’s global competitiveness as a destination for R&D investment.

“Australia boasts some of the best scientists and research infrastructure in the world. That is an advantage we must continue to capitalise on.”

Dr Shaw said the introduction of the new R&D tax credit system introduced in August would effectively reduce the cost of eligible R&D by up to 10 per cent.

“The R&D tax credit is one policy setting that will boost investment in Australian R&D,” Dr Shaw said.

“Implementing the recommendations of the Government-appointed Clinical Trials Action Group will also help make Australia more competitive.

“International competition from countries like Brazil, India and China is ferocious, but with the right policies we have a good opportunity to grow our R&D industry and to keep innovative R&D in Australia.

“That would ensure we keep more of our top research scientists engaged in Australian R&D and attract greater investment to our universities and other research institutions.”

The medicines industry conducts more than 700 clinical trials in Australia each year. In 2010 more than 18,000 Australians participated in clinical trials supported by the medicines industry in this country.

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Contact Person:

Jamie Nicholson
Media Communications Manager
Phone: 0419 220 293
Email: Jamie.Nicholson@medicinesaustralia.com.au

Medicines Australia chief executive Dr Brendan Shaw today welcomed the listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme of six medicines that had been deferred by Federal Cabinet since February.

Dr Shaw said the Government’s willingness to negotiate a solution to the problem was encouraging.

However, he said Medicines Australia’s position remained that the deferral of new medicines that have been recommended by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee is bad policy.

“The listing of the six medicines deferred in February is welcome news for patients who have been waiting more than seven months for the Government to make them available on the PBS,” Dr Shaw said.

“The commitments announced by the Government today are a good step forward. We welcome those commitments and acknowledge the consultation process the Government has engaged in.

“However, more work needs to be done. Questions still remain, and there is still no commitment from the Government to consign to the dustbin its poor policy of deferring medicines.

“Deferrals mean patients are denied access to the medicines they need. The policy also creates uncertainty for industry and makes it harder for companies to bring new medicines to Australia.”

In a joint agreement co-signed by Medicines Australia, the Generic Medicines Industry Association, the Consumers Health Forum and the Government, the signatories have committed to continue seeking a satisfactory solution.

As part of that agreement, the Government has committed for the next 12 months not to defer listing medicines that carry an annual cost of under $10 million.

“Medicines Australia and the other signatories have also agreed with Government to discuss possible policy options in the future,” Dr Shaw said.

“We have not agreed to any specific options at this stage over and above what is spelt out in the principles agreement.”

The Government today announced that the PBS listing of another medicine, dabigatran (Pradaxa), which had been recommended by the PBAC, would be referred to the former PBAC Chair, Prof Lloyd Sansom, for further consideration.

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Contact Person:

Jamie Nicholson
Media Communications Manager
Phone: 0419 220 293
Email: Jamie.Nicholson@medicinesaustralia.com.au

Medicines Australia has commenced a Review of its Code of Conduct and invites public submissions.

The Medicines Australia Code of Conduct sets the standards of conduct for the activities of companies when engaged in the promotion of prescription products used under medical supervision as permitted by Australian legislation.

Medicines Australia chief executive Dr Brendan Shaw encouraged health stakeholders, healthcare professionals, consumers and members of the public to contribute to the review.

“The great strength of the Code over 50 years has been its careful ongoing evolution conducted in consultation with stakeholders and the wider community,” Dr Shaw said.

“I encourage anyone with an interest in the Code of Conduct to make a submission to the current review. The next edition of the Code will be informed by those submissions.”

Medicines Australia Board member Jim Cain will chair the panel given responsibility to review the existing Code and draft the next edition.

Stakeholder consultations and the drafting processes are expected to take up to a year. Further opportunities to consider the redrafted Code will be extended to stakeholders and industry before it is submitted to the ACCC for authorisation.

Dr Shaw said Medicines Australia had written to more than 200 stakeholders inviting their comment and submissions to the Code of Conduct review.

“It is important for the public to have confidence in the relationships between pharmaceutical companies and doctors,” Dr Shaw said.

“That is why we need a strong Code of Conduct that reflects current community sentiment.”

The closing date for submissions is Friday 4 November 2011.

Submissions to the Code of Conduct review can be made to: secretarycodecommittee@medicinesaustralia.com.au

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Contact Person:

Jamie Nicholson
Media Communications Manager
Phone: 0419 220 293
Email: Jamie.Nicholson@medicinesaustralia.com.au

Medicines Australia welcomes today’s report by the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee rejecting a Private Members Bill that seeks to ban patents on biological materials.

The report is the latest to demonstrate that there is no case for banning patents on biological materials, including genetic materials. Over the last decade three other Government reports have reached the same conclusion.

Medicines Australia chief executive Dr Brendan Shaw said: “It is now time to put this matter to bed once and for all.

“Patents on biological materials are important because they guarantee ongoing investment in developing cutting-edge medicines and therapies. They ensure Australians have access to these medicines as soon as they become available.

“Patents drive innovation, and innovation is the engine of growth in a knowledge-based economy like Australia.

“Had this Bill proceeded it would have put Australia at odds with global trends in IP protection.

“It would have threatened access to the latest medicines and diagnostics, and violated our international trade obligations under the Australia US Free Trade Agreement.

“The Bill would also potentially have threatened the viability of many high-skill, high-wage research jobs across Australia.

“Biological medicines represent the cutting edge of medicine.

“Medicines Australia looks forward to working further with Government to improve Australia’s patent system to bring it into line with global best practice.”

More than 400 biological medicines are currently in development worldwide, and more than 100 are already being used to treat some of humanity’s most debilitating conditions such as cancer, arthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease.

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Contact Person:

Jamie Nicholson
Media Communications Manager
Phone: 0419 220 293
Email: Jamie.Nicholson@medicinesaustralia.com.au

Medicines have an important role to play in reducing the burden of non-communicable disease around the world, Medicines Australia chief executive Dr Brendan Shaw said today.

Speaking as the United Nations General Assembly High Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases concluded in New York, Dr Shaw said the burden of diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and respiratory disease presented a significant challenge for the world health community.

“While lifestyle choices such as exercise and diet can be extremely effective means of preventing disease, there are many cost-effective prescription medicines that can play a key role in the battle against non-communicable disease,” Dr Shaw said.

“Research released by the pharmaceutical industry in New York to coincide with the UN meeting shows that effective medicines for non-communicable diseases exist and are available in generic form.

“However, these medicines are failing to reach many patients in the developing world. Improving access to those medicines is and must remain a priority for governments, industry and NGOs.

“It is encouraging that the UN’s Political Declaration specifically acknowledged the importance of promoting ‘increased access to affordable, safe, effective and quality medicines’.”

The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations this week published an independent policy report on non-communicable diseases, identifying structural obstacles to treating non-communicable diseases across healthcare systems globally.

The study identifies four priority areas for the research-based pharmaceutical industry to consider:

• Innovative ways to improve adherence to non-communicable disease medicines
• Overcoming barriers to availability of medicines in poor and remote areas
• Improving access to primary care
• Removing regulatory restrictions that hamper the availability of medicines.

The IFPMA report is available from here  (please follow link)

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Contact Person:

Jamie Nicholson
Media Communications Manager
Phone: 0419 220 293
Email: Jamie.Nicholson@medicinesaustralia.com.au

The Federal Government can build consumer and industry confidence in its management of the healthcare reform agenda by addressing its missteps with the PBS, Medicines Australia chief executive Dr Brendan Shaw told industry experts in Sydney today.

Keynote speaker at the annual eyeforpharma Sales and Marketing Excellence Conference, Dr Shaw said the Federal Cabinet has no need to delay or block the listing of new medicines on the PBS.

“The PBS is sustainable once the Government takes into account its own forecasts of modest PBS growth and the headroom being created for new medicines through price disclosure savings and patent expiries.

“Government should be talking up its capacity to deliver the latest innovative medicines for Australians, not holding them back.

“Patents are set to expire shortly for 11 of the top 20 medicines in the world by value, price disclosure is delivering significant price reductions already and the government is reaping the benefits of greater competition in the medicines marketplace.

“The Government should be sitting ready to hit the ‘go’ button to fund the latest, cost effective medicines, not sitting on its hands.

“Government has heard the message that uncertainty in medicines listing is universally opposed by the community, health professionals and industry. Health is a priority. Seize the opportunity to invest in it.

“Spending on new medicines generates savings in the health system and they are an important investment in Australians’ quality of life. Australians want new medical technologies available to improve their lives.

“It’s time the Government restored the usual practice for PBS listings. There aren’t many more important things for Government expenditure than medicines for sick people,” he said.

Dr Shaw cited Government Medicare data for PBS growth, the most recent Intergenerational Report, Treasury projections from this year’s Budget, and other reports as evidence that PBS growth is well controlled.

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Contact Person:

Jamie Nicholson
Media Communications Manager
Phone: 0419 220 293
Email: Jamie.Nicholson@medicinesaustralia.com.au