MA: HTA review could consider new non-PBAC pricing body

A key change that will be closely watched in Australia is greater consideration of a medicine's wider benefits, including to the patient, their families and the health system.

Pfizer says laboratory studies of its COVID-19 antiviral PAXLOVID suggest the therapy is effective against the 'Omicron' variant.

If it is unlawful for the PBAC to conditionalise recommendations then it is certainly unlawful to present them this way to sponsor companies.

A released Cabinet submission shows Australia's once-strong support for a joint agency with New Zealand was essentially driven by the need to avoid the negative consequences of the "imminent collapse" of that country's regulatory environment.

A new analysis commissioned by US-based PhRMA has exposed the extent to which that country's supply chain is taking an increasing share of what is paid for medicines.

Medicines Australia said the committee will meet shortly to "map out" the work required to implement the agreement and to convene "cross-functional Action Groups".

The industry in 2022 is unlikely to recognise the decision-making environment in 2000 but to what extent is it responsible for an environment that appears so unreceptive to change.

“This milestone is a significant part of GSK Oncology’s commitment to providing more options to patients, and more specifically our commitment to women’s cancers,” said Patrick Desbiens, the general manager of GSK Australia and New Zealand.”

Mr Hunt succeeded Sussan Ley in health and spent his first months in the portfolio securing formal agreements with a range of stakeholder groups.

The Cabinet submission is almost certainly one of the most important documents ever released on what is the world's second-oldest public health program.

The newly-released document shows Cabinet supporting a decision by a former health minister reflecting the federal government's very clear understanding of the legal limits on the reach of PBAC advice.

Medicines Australia has confirmed the candidates nominated to fill the three vacancies on its board of directors.

"GSK rejected all three proposals made on the basis that they fundamentally undervalued the Consumer Healthcare business and its future prospects," said the company in a statement.

The Department of Health has acted to secure an 'expert' contractor to support the health technology assessment review before the confirmed appointment of a chair, reference committee or finalisation of the terms of reference.

The 2022 BioPharmaDispatch annual conference will be held in Sydney on Monday 16 May with early-bird registration available until the end of January.

Stakeholders have welcomed the January extended reimbursement of Pierre Fabre's BRAFTOVI (encorafenib) to include a form of bowel cancer.

Of the 31 over-arching recommendations, which include around 100 sub-recommendations, this is the one health minister Greg Hunt has decided to quickly progress.

Nicole Cooper of Convalis Consulting is approaching the fifth anniversary of her diagnosis with an advanced form of cancer. She talks ahead of her latest round of treatment and urges decision-makers to do better on understanding and supporting the experience and journey of individual patients.

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee delivered some significant recommendations at its November meeting but also major deferrals, many more biosimilars and ten rescinded recommendations.