News of the Day

A new report suggests almost 120,000 Australians are still living with hepatitis C more than five years after the first direct-acting antiviral cures were reimbursed through the PBS.

GSK's Christi Kelsey says the company will launch its third Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) a decade after starting its own journey.

According to Bloomberg, the number of COVID-19 vaccines administered globally is 6.88 billion across 184 countries. The latest daily rate of doses administered is 32 million. COVAX has so far shipped over 378 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to 144 participants.

Vertex has welcomed confirmation the PBAC will consider cystic fibrosis therapy TRIKAFTA at its December meeting for all 2,000 eligible patients.

Better Access Australia says a fundamental conflict in the oversight of the National Medicines Policy can be addressed by moving its administration to another area of the Department of Health.

"With so many talented local researchers, we are proud to support initiatives like this which help to invigorate the local research eco-system,” said AbbVie's Chris Stemple.

MSD says patients will be hoping for a positive reimbursement outcome after the TGA added another indication to the company's immuno-oncology therapy KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab).

The federal government will spend almost $100 million on adding new screening tests for parents undertaking IVF but only because MSAC said it will avoid births and the need to pay for treatment.

Health minister Greg Hunt has announced expanded access to Lilly's breast cancer therapy VERZENIO (abemaciclib).

Nicole Cooper has used her submission to the National Medicines Policy review to argue any update should not just reflect changes that have already occurred but look to the future and prioritise patient need.

India has become the second country to administer more than one billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. China has administered 2.24 billion doses. The two countries have administered almost half of the doses administered globally.

How is the shameful treatment of one patient any worse than a paid alliance of groups promoting cheaper alternatives to patients under the absurd Orwellian guise of ‘optimising’ the use of more expensive treatments?