New immunisation strategy highlights COVID impact, priority patients and new technologies

Medicines Australia has announced the establishment of an expert interest group focused on radiopharmaceuticals, comprising members from across its membership.

Novo Nordisk has announced a partnership with mobile healthcare delivery provider Heart of Australia to bring more clinical trial opportunities to regional, rural and remote communities in Queensland.

Specialised Therapeutics has announced the expansion of its existing supply and distribution agreement with Incyte to launch and distribute two additional medicines from its oncology portfolio in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.

MSD Australia and MSD New Zealand have been recognised with the certified status by Great Place to Work for 2025 for a second consecutive year.

What will the HTA Review Implementation Advisory Group do if the PBAC rejects the streamlined process? The question should also be phrased differently. How will the HTA Review's IAG respond if the PBAC recommends the proposal?

In response to a question about the risk of removing products from reimbursement in some countries to protect the US market, Pfizer Chief Executive and PhRMA Chair Dr Albert Bourla said, "I think yes."

As Mark Butler starts leading the process of integrating the NDIS into his portfolio, the review has revealed that the program's pricing limits are out of step with broader market rates, in some cases exceeding them by up to 68 per cent.

Medicines Australia says it has not heard from companies that they have placed ‘the brake on’ ex-US pricing outcomes in response to the US Most Favored Nation pricing executive order, but added that "this would not be a surprising response."

New data presented today at the Public Health Association of Australia's Communicable Diseases and Immunisation Conference have shown that cell-based influenza vaccines were nearly 20 per cent more effective at preventing test-confirmed infections compared to traditional standard-dose egg-based vaccines.

Meningitis Centre Australia says it is "pleading" with the New South Wales Government to fund a Meningococcal B vaccination program for babies and teens in its upcoming budget.

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee will consider new proposals from MSD and Bristol Myers Squibb at its July meeting to accelerate reimbursement of approved indications for their immunotherapies.

Credit to the companies for persisting, given that the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee has considered streamlining the reimbursement of immunotherapies for much of the past eight years.

Ben McDonald, the country president of AstraZeneca Australia and New Zealand, stated that the findings demonstrate the opportunity Australia has to reduce the health and economic burden of chronic kidney disease.

"This project exemplifies our dedication to uniting with key stakeholders in the Alzheimer's community to drive forward groundbreaking research and innovative treatments,” said Vinay Prusty, the executive director of medical neuroscience at Lilly.

Rare Cancers Australia has launched a campaign to raise awareness of the patient impact ahead of Rare Cancers Australia Day in late June.

Adding disability to health in an already full ministerial bandwidth and funding challenges. Trade policy and the PBS, and a presentation on the human consequences of our decision-making. Is a targeted diagnostic screening and the strangest patient case study?

Reports suggest that the UK government has agreed to pay higher prices for prescription medicines, with the suggestion that this is a response to a demand from the US Trump administration. Meanwhile, some companies in Australia have paused the progression of PBS listings in response to MFN uncertainty.

The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has amended its published update on the review of National Blood Arrangements following alarm at the inclusion of specific funding decisions on individual products.

AusBiotech and the Australian Government's Trade and Investment Commission, Austrade, are partnering to accelerate the global growth and expansion of life science companies.