Industry chiefs want united front as agreement negotiations get underway

Can we hope that a new First Assistant Secretary to oversee the HTA Review implementation phase will introduce a new way of working and cleanse a process that currently resembles a stagnant pond?

AusBiotech and Tenmile have announced a strategic partnership to support Australia's homegrown life sciences innovation, unveiled by AusBiotech CEO Rebekah Cassidy and Dr Steve Burnell, Managing Director of Tenmile, during the opening address of AusMedtech Day Two.

Lundbeck Australia Managing Director Cara Dignum said, "For nine years, Lundbeck Australia has been recognised for its commitment to building a workplace where employees feel valued, inspired, and connected to the meaningful purpose of serving patients with brain diseases."

Merck and Macquarie University have announced two recipients of the new Merck Indigenous STEM Leadership scholarships funded by the Merck Family Foundation.

Until around 15 years ago, the forecast for spending included nominal annual growth rates of 5-10 per cent, but it was not real. It was not linked to anything. It could not be used to offset new listings because of Budget rules, which remain in place today, and it just made the program a target. It reflects a long-term, enduring dynamic. Nothing will change in the absence of reforming the system's basic architecture.

Cube’s AI Visibility Index Report, presented by Bonnie Leibel at the BPDInsights Conference in Sydney this week, combines market-level benchmarking across 55 pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies operating in Australia.

Australia’s medicine supply chain and pharmacy workforce are under strain, industry leaders warned in a panel discussion at this week's BPDInsights and BioPharmaDispatch annual event.

Australia’s life sciences sector has doubled in size since 2017 and now includes around 3,000 organisations, supporting one in every 65 jobs nationwide.

The BMS leader praised the PBS as a public health program but emphasised that it must be fit for purpose. He said he has respect for what the program represents and that his speech is not an attack on the program, but a defence of what the PBS was designed to be.

Liz Selby, Country Lead for Sanofi Australia and New Zealand, said, "Despite progress in relapsing remitting MS treatments, there remains a significant burden on people with nrSPMS who have limited treatment options to manage their disease progression."

Australia’s growing strength in translational science took centre stage at the second annual Translational Science Hub Symposium in Queensland, where more than 180 researchers, industry leaders and policymakers gathered to highlight how discovery is being turned into real-world patient impact.

A new partnership between Rare Cancers Australia, Ramsay Health Care and GenesisCare aims to make it easier for Australians living with rare and less common cancers to find vital treatment information and support services.

Sandoz has welcomed the Albanese Government’s decision in the 2026-27 Budget to consult on options to change prescribing practices for biosimilars, describing the process as an opportunity to improve affordability and access.

Leaders from Australia’s medical technology sector have gathered in Perth for AusMedtech 2026 to explore innovation, translation and commercialisation across the medtech ecosystem.

Last week's Budget revealed that negotiations for new industry agreements and the content they will include have been underway for some time. It has just been an internal political and bureaucratic process that is about to be expanded to include the industry.

That puts the research-based sector in a difficult spot. Will it pay, in explicit savings drawn from the existing pool of funded medicines and technologies, for the privilege of faster, allegedly lighter-touch assessment pathways for a handful of new 'unicorn' therapies? Is it worth it?

In its report, the Committee urged clear, practical expansions of access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM), insulin pumps and GLP‑1 medicines. The Government acknowledges these concerns but stops far short of any commitment.

The Albanese Government confirmed its decision to defer the bigger decisions, or any decisions, on the Health Technology Assessment Review and signalled a push to lock in new cost‑recovery and agreement arrangements within the next 12 months. A vaguely worded commitment on biosimilars.

There are enough measures and signals in this week's Budget to suggest medicines, vaccines and other technologies were discussed extensively in the process leading up to Tuesday's announcement. It might also help explain Health Minister Mark Butler's annoyance at one organisation's response. A Government response to a parliamentary inquiry triggered another odd response from stakeholder groups.