The Jimmy Little Foundation has launched a new interactive website called Thumbs Up! to promote healthy eating to indigenous children in the Northern Territory.

The website, funded by Medicines Australia and supported by the Northern Territory Government, aims to encourage indigenous children to make healthy food choices and improve nutrition.

The website includes a teacher section outlining lesson plans which align with the Northern Territory and draft national curriculum, particularly through the Remote Schools Curriculum and Assessment Materials.

Jimmy Little Foundation chief executive Graham “Buzz” Bidstrup said the website would provide vital health and wellbeing information for schoolchildren in their early formative years.

“We hope that the knowledge they gain from this website might reduce their chances of contracting chronic diseases later in life,” Mr Bidstrup said.

“With no geographic boundaries, teachers and young people in classrooms across Australia can go online to learn more about how to lead a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

“This online teaching aid has been developed in partnership with the NT Department of Education. It is fun and interactive and delivers health and nutrition messages from Australian indigenous icon Uncle Jimmy Little and his Thumbs Up! team.

“It’s a really simple message: Good Tucker – Long Life.”

Medicines Australia chairman Will Delaat said the Australian medicines industry was committed to helping improve indigenous health.

This is a response to the Federal Government’s call for assistance in ‘closing the gap’,” Mr Delaat said.

“Medicines Australia is proud of our contribution that assists in advancing improvements in indigenous health.”

The launch of the website at Milner Primary School in Darwin this week was attended by The Hon Dr Chris Burns, Northern Territory Minister for Education and Training.

The Thumbs Up! website is part of a broader Jimmy Little Foundation healthy eating program funded by Medicines Australia.

The Thumbs Up! website is available at: http://www.thumbsup.org.au/

–ENDS–

Contact Person:

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

A Senate Committee report tabled in Parliament today strongly criticising the Government’s management of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme reflects grave community concerns, Medicines Australia chief executive Dr Brendan Shaw said today.

The Senate Finance and Administration References Committee report on Government Administration of the PBS condemned Federal Cabinet’s decision to defer the listing of new medicines on the PBS.

Dr Shaw said the Committee was sending the Government a clear signal that Cabinet should not interfere with the process of listing new PBS medicines.

“It is extraordinary that apart from the Department of Health, none of the 65 submissions to the inquiry supported the Government’s action on this issue,” Dr Shaw said.

“Patients don’t support it, doctors don’t support it, the broader community doesn’t support it and industry doesn’t support it.

“The community has told the Committee unequivocally that it wants a return to the previous system of listing new medicines on the PBS that has served Australians so well for decades. That sentiment is reflected in the Committee’s report.

“Medicines Australia also welcomes the recommendation that the Government adhere to the intent of the Memorandum of Understanding signed with industry in 2010.”

The report warned that the politicisation of the PBS listing process risked creating two separate classes of people: “those who have access to a suitable medicine that is subsidised and those who do not.”

Dr Shaw said the Committee clearly acknowledged that the Government’s policy on the PBS was threatening to take Australia into a two-tier health system.

“Next week marks six months to the day since Government announced it was deferring the listing of new medicines. Every day that goes by is another day that many Australian patients are being denied access to medicines they need.

“I congratulate the Committee on its excellent report and thank the members of the Committee for the hard work they have undertaken in preparing it.

“Medicines Australia welcomes the Committee’s recommendations and strongly urges the Government to act on them.”

–ENDS–

Contact Person:

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

Recent submissions on elements of the new R&D Tax Credit system, the gene patents bill and the implementation of the Clinical Trials Action Group’s recommendations are available here (please follow link).

A new section contains information on several current innovation and industry policy issues such as the R&D Tax Credit, clinical trials and patent reform. This new section is available here (please follow link).

New publicly available Government data from Medicare Australia shows that Government expenditure on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme grew by just over 5 per cent in 2010-11 – or less than 2 per cent in real terms.

Medicines Australia chief executive Dr Brendan Shaw said today the new data, coupled with today’s release of the annual inflation figures, show that PBS spending is well under control.

“It’s really time to explode this myth that the PBS is unsustainable,” Dr Shaw said.

“With inflation running at 3.6 per cent and PBS growth at 5.2 per cent, the PBS is actually growing at less than 2 per cent a year in real terms.

“It’s really time for people to wake up and smell the coffee. The PBS is not growing out of control. The evidence shows that real growth is minimal.

“For a major healthcare program to achieve such minimal growth, while still providing universal access to the latest medicines to a growing and ageing population, is quite an extraordinary achievement.

“The Medicare figures show very clearly that there is no need for Government to take a heavy-handed approach to the PBS. There is simply no justification for knee-jerk savings measures such as the Cabinet’s deferral of PBS medicines.

“The Government’s own figures show that the PBS is in good shape. I urge Government to stop and look at this data.

“The Government’s own Intergenerational Report projected that the PBS as a proportion of GDP will be flat right out to 2020.

“The most recent OECD data shows that the Australian Government continues to spend well below the OECD average as a proportion of GDP.

“Now the most recent Medicare data points to the same conclusion. By any definition the PBS is sustainable.”

The Medicare Australia data is available from here (please follow link)

–ENDS–

Contact Person:

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

Federal Cabinet’s decision to defer the listing of new medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme threatens to take Australia into a two-tier health system, Medicines Australia chief executive Dr Brendan Shaw told a Senate Committee hearing today.

Dr Shaw was giving evidence to the Senate Finance and Public Administration References Committee Inquiry into the Government’s administration of the PBS.

Dr Shaw said five months after Cabinet’s announcement to defer the listing of some medicines that had been recommended by the Government’s own expert advisory committee, some patients were still unable to afford those treatments.

“For patients this has meant five months without medicines that would materially improve their lives,” Dr Shaw told the Inquiry.

“Patients suffering from schizophrenia, excessive sweating and chronic pain are all missing out. As more medicines come up for listing, more patients are now anxious they too will miss out in the future.

“We run the real risk of developing a two-tier health system, where the wealthy can afford the most effective and convenient treatment options, while the rest will have to make do with less convenient treatments already on the PBS.

“There are few things more important in government than making medicines affordable for sick people and their families.

“Given Australia is a wealthy country, with one of the best fiscal positions in the industrialised world, we should be able to afford to spend money on medicines for sick people.

“The growth of the PBS is at historic lows. Treasury’s own projections from last year’s Intergenerational Report suggest that growth will remain flat at around 0.7 per cent of GDP until at least 2020.

“The PBS is a sustainable, well run program that delivers major benefits to the health of the nation. These benefits run far deeper than a simple reading of the balance sheet by an accountant would suggest.”

Dr Shaw urged the Committee to recommend that Government list the medicines it has deferred and revert to the previous practice of listing new medicines recommended to it by its own expert advisory committee.

–ENDS–

Contact Person:

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

Medicines Australia welcomes yesterday’s publication of the final report by the Therapeutic Goods Administration Transparency Review panel which has made 21 recommendations aimed at building a more transparent regulatory process in Australia.

Medicines Australia chief executive Dr Brendan Shaw said improving transparency would ensure the TGA was better understood by the community.

“The TGA has made significant progress in reforming its business processes and we are already seeing greater transparency in the prescription medicines sector,” Dr Shaw said.

“These latest reforms being recommended by the TGA Transparency Review panel will help demystify the regulatory process for the ordinary Australians who benefit from it.

“Medicines Australia looks forward to working with Government on the recommendations. While they may take some time to put in place, the TGA has already gone some way towards ensuring they are delivered.

“The quality of information provided by the TGA to companies bringing new medicines to market is now better. Improvements have been made to the TGA website, and particularly to the search functions of the product register. We look forward to further reforms in the months ahead.

“Providing greater transparency and detail on the TGA’s evaluation and decision-making process is a significant step forward. It will provide further confidence in the quality of prescription medicines to which Australian patients have access.

“Considerable effort has gone into this review. The consultation process has been exemplary and the report’s authors are to be commended.

“Medicines Australia looks forward to discussing with the Government how these recommendations can be implemented to best achieve the aim of providing more information to the community about their medicines.”

–ENDS–

Contact Person:

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

Federal Cabinet’s decision to defer the listing of new medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme means ordinary Australians are missing out on access to new medical treatments, Medicines Australia has told a Senate inquiry into the Government’s administration of the PBS.

Medicines Australia’s submission to the inquiry said Cabinet’s decision shows “the Australian Government is moving towards a two-tier health system”.

“[It] perpetuates a situation where high-income patients can afford better treatments for things like schizophrenia, chronic pain associated with cancer, debilitating excessive sweating and use of combination products, whereas people on lower incomes have to make do.

“The future access of Australians to medicines is being transformed into a political lottery.”

The Government announced in February that it had blocked the listing of eight new medicines, despite recommendations by its own expert advisory committee that the medicines were value for money and should be made available to patients.

The submission notes that 42 per cent of Medicines Australia member companies have said that in light of the Federal Government’s decision, they were considering delaying brining new medicines to Australia.

“A number were seriously considering delaying various new medicines in the areas of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular and mental health,” the submission said.

“The decision to require Cabinet to approve all new PBS listings and defer the listing of medicines is a bad policy decision.

“Whilst it clearly has an adverse impact on industry, ultimately it is Australians that miss out on access to new medical treatment in the future as a result of the uncertainty created by the Australian Government.”

The submission added: “The Government’s deferrals have not only placed a clinical burden on patients, but a financial burden as well. It was apparent from the initial deferral announcement that the Australian Government was prepared to transfer the cost of treatment to patients.”

Medicines Australia’s submission is available here (Please follow link)

–ENDS–

Contact Person:

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

Medical education provided or sponsored by pharmaceutical companies fosters knowledge of prescription medicines and encourages appropriate prescribing, Medicines Australia chief executive Dr Brendan Shaw told a health ethics seminar today.

Speaking at the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences annual ethics seminar, Dr Shaw said such events must meet the high ethical standard set out by the Medicines Australia Code of Conduct.

“The interaction between pharmaceutical companies and doctors is an important part of ensuring that doctors have up-to-date information on medicines, and patients get the most out of the health system,” Dr Shaw said.

“Doctors attend these events because they derive genuine professional benefit from their engagement with pharmaceutical companies.

“Companies have an obligation to patients to ensure doctors have the latest information about prescription medicines. Healthcare decisions affecting patients must be informed by dialogue between those who make medicines and those who prescribe them.

“You wouldn’t get on an A380 if you knew Qantas hadn’t received any information from Airbus about how to fly it.

“Nor would you want to take a medicine if the prescriber didn’t know how it worked. No one knows more about how medicines work than those who make them.

“But all of these events must adhere to Medicines Australia’s strict Code of Conduct. Gifts are banned, entertainment is banned, lavish hospitality is banned. And information must be balanced, current and in line with Government-approved medicine information.

“Under the Code, the primary purpose of an educational meeting must always be to enhance medical knowledge, and sponsorship must never carry any obligation for the doctor to prescribe a particular medicine.”

Dr Shaw said the Medicines Australia Code of Conduct should apply equally to all manufacturers of prescription medicines, not just to Medicines Australia members.

“It’s disturbing when non-member companies apply a lesser standard – whether by offering Mediterranean cruises or rewards schemes for prescribing and dispensing,” Dr Shaw said.

“That sort of conduct undermines public confidence in the industry.”

–ENDS–

Contact Person:

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

Brussels, 13 July 2011: A new report on Health Technology Assessment (HTA) processes published today highlights significant areas for improvement in order to accelerate patients’ access to new technologies and innovative medicines, and to make the most of tight public budgets.

The study, jointly commissioned by EFPIA, EuropaBio, Medicines Australia and PhRMA, compares the HTA processes and outputs against best practice principles.

In particular the report shows that the link between assessments and access decisions could be improved. One of the crucial roles of HTA is to improve access to innovative treatments and medicines. However, the report found little evidence that current HTA processes make a difference in terms of speeding up access to medicines for patients or that HTA resulted in better rewards for medicines with higher therapeutic value.

Recommendations from HTA bodies are not always implemented by pricing and reimbursement authorities, and the overall link between HTA and pricing and reimbursement is still unclear in many cases.

Recommendations on the same products also vary greatly between systems and countries. While individual HTA bodies may have different remits and objectives, the variation in how the same products are evaluated suggests inefficiencies and inconsistencies linked with diverging methodologies and data requirements.

The report also shows that many systems could improve their performance towards a holistic approach to assessments. Looking at the full healthcare system and associated costs for society would be more beneficial in terms of efficient allocation of resources. Even though HTA has the potential to assist patients and health practitioners in making informed decisions, in practice, societal aspects are not well taken into account and patients have a limited role in several HTA systems. The report also shows that HTA is mostly applied to pharmaceuticals, and that methods applied to other technologies are less stringent.

However, the report suggests that there are reasons to be optimistic, given that most HTA systems are still in development or are evolving. The report sets the foundation for a regular exercise, which will receive continuous support from the four trade associations. Such regular exercise has the potential to allow consistent assessments of the impact of HTA to be efficiently captured over time, taking into account the impact of current reforms and crossborder activities on access to innovative medicines and the move towards truly patientcentred healthcare systems.

The report & the full list of countries analysed is available here (please follow link)

The key messages of the report is available here: http://www.efpia.eu

–ENDS–

PDF version of the Media Release is also available  206k

Contact People:

Edith Frénoy, Director, Market Access, (EFPIA)
Tel: +32 2 62 62 555,
E-mail: newsroom@efpia.org

Ludovic Lacaine, Director, Healthcare
Biotechnology, (EuropaBio)
Tel: +32 2739 1183/+32 2739 1173,
E-mail: r.travers@europabio.org

Brendan Shaw, Chief Executive, (Medicines Australia)
Tel: +61 2 6122 8500,
E-mail: info@medicinesaustralia.com.au

Mark Grayson, Deputy Vice President,
Communications and Public Affairs, (PhRMA)
Tel: +1202-835-3465,
E-mail: mgrayson@phrma.org

Useful Links

• HTA Comparison report
• Key messages
• www.efpia.eu
• www.europabio.org
• www.medicinesaustralia.com.au
• www.phrma.org

Notes to the Editor

About the report:

Charles River Associates was asked by EFPIA, PhRMA, Medicines Australia and EuropaBio to undertake a comparative assessment of the role and impact of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) in different parts of the world. The objective of the project was to build upon, rather than replicate, the various published studies that have compared HTA systems in order to develop the lessons that can be drawn from different national models in the world. The project started with a literature review of existing frameworks for comparison of the use of HTA focusing on its role and impact (rather than the merits of particular methodologies). The assessment focused on 15 countries representative of the diversity of HTA practices, and with a mix of long-established and emerging HTA systems.

About Health Technology Assessment (HTA):

The International Network of Agencies for HTA (INAHTA) defines HTA as a multidisciplinary field of policy analysis, which incorporates the medical, social, ethical and economic implications of development, diffusion, and use of health technology. HTA is therefore a ‘melting pot’ of the different disciplines needed to assess the benefits of a given medicine, and in some cases, also the costs. HTA experts may include epidemiologists, economists, physicians, pharmacists, and health care managers, among other professionals. HTA is therefore conducted by multidisciplinary groups, using a range of analytical frameworks drawing from a variety of analytical methods. In practice HTA has come to mean a wide range of processes and assessments. For the purposes of this project Charles River Associates used a wide definition of HTA including any process that systematically reviews new technologies in order to provide payers with information to make decisions.

~About EFPIA~

EFPIA represents the pharmaceutical industry operating in Europe. Through its direct membership of 31 national associations and 38 leading pharmaceutical companies, EFPIA is the voice on the EU scene of 2,000 companies committed to researching, developing and bringing to patients new medicines that improve health and the quality of life around the world.

~About EuropaBio~

EuropaBio’s mission is to promote an innovative and dynamic biotechnology based industry in Europe. EuropaBio, (the European Association for Bioindustries), has 66 corporate and 7 associate members operating worldwide, 4 Bioregions and 22 national biotechnology associations representing some 1800 small and medium sized enterprises.

~About Medicines Australia~

Medicines Australia represents the discovery-driven pharmaceutical industry in Australia. Our 50+ member companies supply more than 80 per cent of the medicines that are available to Australian patients through the HTA-based Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, as well as providing a range of other medicines and vaccines to the Australian community. Medicines Australia’s members also invest more than $1 billion annually in local research and development, contribute over $4 billion in high-tech exports to the Australian economy, and employ over 14,000 people.

~About PhRMA~

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies in the United States, which are devoted to inventing medicines that allow patients to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. PhRMA companies are leading the way in the search for new cures. PhRMA members alone invested an estimated $49.4 billion in 2010 in discovering and developing new medicines. Industry- wide research and investment reached a record $67.4 billion in 2010.