BioPharmaDispatch Executive

Monash University says its scientists have identified an immune system trigger for severe bee venom allergy. This allergy lands twice as many Australians in hospital emergency departments each year as snake or spider bites.

“This is a huge milestone to help protect infants from RSV and will provide long-awaited support for many Australian families," said the founding director of the Immunisation Foundation of Australia, Catherine Hughes AM.

Boehringer Ingelheim has announced the appointment of its new general manager of its growing business in Australia and New Zealand.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced the change in the health portfolio as part of a wider reshuffle he described as a refresh.

In the final of this week's special series, the question is whether stakeholders will accept the status quo or demand changes that compel Australia's HTA institution to work for patients.

More and more patients are forced to seek charitable donations from their fellow citizens to pay for medicines and other health technologies. Is anyone else embarrassed that the citizens of a very wealthy country are forced to solicit donations because their government might favour securing a 'good deal' over their lives?

A sprawling institutional structure has been created in the 38 years since the parliament legislated the framework that explicitly excluded patients from PBS decision-making. It took 11 years to add one consumer representative and another 17 years to add a second. It is the definition of an afterthought, but why would anyone be surprised?

The simple use of HTA can not be an excuse for delays. Many countries using HTA deliver faster-funded access to medicine and other health technologies. Australia's issue is that its statutory framework for applying HTA to the PBS, which has been extended or used as the policy basis for other programs, was designed and intended to cause delays.

A lone senator was drowned out by their parliamentary colleagues, who, in their own words, revealed a disturbing view of patients as nothing more than a burden on the budget. One said patients should 'stare down' their condition. Another suggested tricking them into thinking they were taking prescription medicines.

Xiomara Sandoval, the chief financial officer of Boehringer Ingelheim Australia and New Zealand, said, “This certification shows we're leading the way in sustainable office design and creating a space that's not only welcoming but also inspiring for all our wonderful colleagues in New Zealand."

Several companies have welcomed recommendations from November's Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee meeting.

A government review's six-year-old recommendations led to the decision to fund an unapproved and unapprovable product over an approved medicine. The document is the first in a series that ended with an unprecedented workaround on patient safety and confirms the truism that 'everything happens for a reason'.