Vaccine procurement and rollout was slow, but reduced the number of deaths

The health department calls them 'holdover' submissions, but they're deferrals. Its strange language does not change the fact that this situation, decided without consultation, could have negative and long-lasting consequences for the world's second-oldest public health program and, more importantly, patients.

The biopharmaceutical industry can now rest assured that politicians will never again lecture it about its relationships with clinicians and patient organisations.

Boehringer Ingelheim's Dirk Otto has been promoted to head of strategy and development globally and will relocate to the company’s global headquarters in Germany at the end of the year.

Priceline Pharmacy has unveiled a new visual identity that the company says reflects a refreshed brand strategy focused on providing health expertise and a beauty experience.

In developing any response, it is critical to place the deferral of these submissions in the broader context of a long-term move to reform the process so that therapies are ordered from high priority to low priority.

The 2025-26 Budget is expected to be announced in late March. It will likely include several new PBS listings that will be implemented over the following months, including during the caretaker period.

"For several years, there has been concern that there are more cancer medicines available for those living with cancer in Australia than in Aotearoa New Zealand," aid the chief executive of Cancer Control Agency, Rami Rahal.

Australian women in every state and territory can now access treatment for uncomplicated urinary tract infections without a prescription at a community pharmacy.

In formulating and implementing the deferral plan, you can be sure that officials would have anticipated and planned for the criticism and Friday's meeting.

Medicines Australia met with senior health department officials on Friday to discuss its members' concerns over the plan to defer the evaluation and consideration of almost 50 submissions to the March PBAC meeting.

The health department's claim that it can only evaluate 32 submissions before the PBAC's March meeting is odd, given what it anticipated in this year's cost recovery implementation statement.

The Australian Patients Association has announced the appointment of Lisa Robins as its new chief executive officer.

Cell and gene therapy company RheumaGen has announced the appointment of Dr Shanny Dyer and Bruce Goodwin to the board of its Australian operation.

In the case of submissions to the PBAC's meeting in March next year, the department's claim suggests the committee has the power to over-ride regulations and defer the evaluation of submissions. This is obviously incorrect.

Two Australian scientists have each been awarded CSL Centenary Fellowships valued at $1.25 million over five years.

The health department has confirmed that it plans to defer almost two-thirds of the March PBAC meeting submissions while an impacted company has become the first to speak out.

Much talk exists around the average 460-day timeline between regulatory approval and reimbursement. Would 460 days between a PBAC submission and its evaluation work for you? This is precisely the timeline confronting sponsors of most submissions to the March 2025 PBAC meeting.

Medicines New Zealand and Patient Voice Aotearoa have presented the white paper generated from the inaugural Valuing Life New Zealand’s Medicines Access Summit.

Historically, submissions have spiked at pre-election meetings as companies rush to avoid the process delays associated with an election, including the listing pauses during the official caretaker period. Officials have previously managed these spikes by adjusting the process.