AstraZeneca welcomes the Government’s commitment to cheaper medicines in this year’s Federal Budget, however, calls for further reform to ensure Australians have earlier, faster and fairer access to life saving and life changing medicines.
The Government has extended the freeze on the maximum co-payment for a PBS prescription for general patients for one year, with a five-year freeze for pensioners and other Commonwealth concession cardholders. However, this does not include access to new medicines that have been approved but are still waiting for government funding on the pharmaceutical benefits scheme (PBS).
Ben McDonald, Country President of AstraZeneca Australia and New Zealand said cancer remains one of the biggest health costs in Australia, and cancer patients continue to wait far too long for access to new medicines.
“I am pleased to see continued Government investment in life changing medicines on the PBS, however many Australian patients will still be waiting far too long for new treatments to be subsidised,” Mr McDonald said.
“Currently, Australian cancer patients face a significant time lag when it comes to accessing new medicines, with a 442 day wait1, on average, between a new cancer medicine receiving approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), and that medicine being made available on the PBS.
“Australians who are diagnosed with a rare or less common cancer each year do not have time to wait. An interim cancer fund could bridge this lengthy delay,” Mr McDonald said.
With a dedicated budgetary allocation, an Interim Cancer Fund could target specific cancer patients who may not have any other treatment options available, to receive earlier access to new medicines.
Investment in new technologies, treatments and services for cancer is estimated to return more than $2 billion in social value over five years.2
The Senate Community Affairs References Committee has released their report into ‘Equitable access to diagnosis and treatment for individuals with rare and less common cancers, including neuroendocrine cancer.’
AstraZeneca participated in the public hearing in Sydney to share insights into the unique challenges cancer patients and their families face and to advocate for earlier, faster and fairer access to diagnosis, treatment and care for Australians living with rare and less common cancers.
We welcome the report and its 41 recommendations including to increase equitable uptake and access to genomic screening, to help remove and reduce existing barriers to swift and accurate diagnoses of rare and less common cancers. We also welcome the committee’s strong observations around inequities in access to treatments for people with rare and less common cancers, demonstrated through not only access data but also lived patient experience.
The committee noted that “inequalities must be addressed to ensure that patients receive the most appropriate treatment to support them throughout their cancer journey”, with the committee recommending the “Australian Government utilise the Health Technology Assessment Policy and Methods Review to provide Australian rare and less common cancer patients with timely and affordable access to novel medicines.”
AstraZeneca will continue advocating for Australians to have earlier access to diagnosis, and faster access to treatment and care in a fairer healthcare system.
For media enquiries contact: anzmedia@astrazeneca.com
REFERENCES
1. Medicines Australia, Medicines Matter Report 2022; https://www.medicinesaustralia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2023/04/Medicines-Matter-2022-FINAL.pdf Accessed May 2024.
2. Counting the Cost: The true value of investing in cancer treatment. Rare Cancers Australia, HT Analysts, Canteen; 2022.
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN) is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialisation of prescription medicines in Oncology, Rare Diseases, and BioPharmaceuticals, including Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. For more information, visit www.astrazeneca.com.au.