CANCER – TREATMENT – AUSTRALIA

Immunotherapy a groundbreaking new cancer treatment, but prohibitively expensive

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Original article by Tracy Bowden
abc.net au – Page: Online : 10-Sep-19

Developed by Swiss company Novartis, Kymriah is an innovative immunotherapy treatment that has been described by University of NSW cancer biologist Darren Saunders as a type of living drug. Saunders notes it has shown to be very beneficial for a large number of people with certain types of leukaemia and lymphoma, but not all patients. Dave Roberts, who has a type of lymphoma, says his doctor has told him that Kymriah is basically his only hope of survival. The federal government is not yet funding Kymriah for people with the type of cancer that Roberts has, so treatment would cost him $500,000.

CORPORATES
NOVARTIS AG, UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES

Free blood tests: Labor raises health pressure

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 : 16-Apr-19

Healthcare is set to continue to dominate the federal election campaign, with Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to announce an expansion of Labor’s cancer care package on 16 April. Shorten will commit to providing free blood tests for cancer patients and older Australians, at a cost of $200m. This is in addition to Labor’s previously-announced $2.3bn cancer treatment plan. Meanwhile, Labor has rejected suggestions of a $5.8bn funding shortfall for its cancer policy, stating that the Health Department has advised that it has not costed the policy.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Cancer doctors: Labor plan won’t cure system

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Original article by Rosie Lewis, Sean Parnell
The Australian – Page: 1 & 7 : 9-Apr-19

Reaction to Labor’s $2.3 billion cancer treatment plan has been somewhat mixed. Its announcement has been welcomed by the Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Radiologists and the Australian Diagnostic Imaging Association. However, Ben Brady of the Private Cancer Physicians of Australia says his organisation rejects compulsory bulk-billing. Brady, who is also the director of haematology and medical oncology at Cabrini Health in Melbourne, adds that it is somewhat "un-Australian" to focus on just one disease.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND COLLEGE OF RADIOLOGISTS, AUSTRALIAN DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING ASSOCIATION, PRIVATE CANCER PHYSICIANS OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, CABRINI HEALTH

Shorten outbids on tax, health

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 5-Apr-19

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has used his Budget reply speech to advise that Labor will not support the second and third stages of the federal government’s income tax package. However, Labor will increase the low- and middle-income tax offset for people earning less than $37,000 year, while it will match the government’s rebate for those earning $48,000 to $90,000. Meanwhile, Labor will increase Medicare funding by $2.3bn over four years, in order to reduce the cost of cancer treatment and to list more cancer drugs on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES. MEDICARE AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Ron Walker’s cancer drug crusade pays national dividends

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Original article by Anne Hyland
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 : 29-Jun-15

The Australian Government will subside a cancer treatment that has been credited with saving the life of businessman Ron Walker. Keytruda will be added to the list of cancer drugs that are subsidised via the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, which means cancer patients will pay at most just $A37.70 to access the drug. It would previously have cost some $A150,000 per year to be treated with Keytruda. Walker had lobbied the Government to subsidise the drug.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, MERCK AND COMPANY INCORPORATED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

GenesisCare in no rush over billion-dollar IPO

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Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 12-Jun-15

Private equity-owned GenesisCare operates 25 cancer treatment facilities in Australia, and is keen to pursue growth domestically and internationally. MD Dan Collins says the group is considering a range of options, including an IPO, although he says GenesisCare is in no hurry to list on the sharemarket. GenesisCare posted EBITDA of $A46.4m in 2013-14, with revenue of $242.5m for the financial year.

CORPORATES
GENESIS CARE PTY LTD, KOHLBERG KRAVIS ROBERTS AND COMPANY, KKR AND COMPANY LP, THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND COLLEGE OF RADIOLOGISTS, GREENSTONE LIMITED, HOLLARD INSURANCE GROUP, GREAT BRITAIN. NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, RAMSAY HEALTH CARE LIMITED – ASX RHC

Breakthrough by Australian team sheds light on cancer genes

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Original article by Nicky Phillips
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 2 : 3-Feb-15

Scientists at Australia’s Garvan Institute of Medical Research, led by Susan Clark, have achieved a first in the fight against cancer. The team have translated the breast cancer methylome, in what is seen as the next step after the decoding of the human genome. Methyl groups are attached to sections of DNA, and influence how genes are expressed in different cell types. Experts say the seminal work by Clark and her colleagues will bring major advances in cancer medicine

CORPORATES
THE GARVAN INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL RESEARCH, ICON CANCER CARE, NATIONAL BREAST CANCER FOUNDATION

Cancer drug gives hope but is still on the waiting list

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Original article by Julia Medew
The Age – Page: 13 : 5-Dec-14

Some 300 Australians annually, or 5% of all who are suffering from lung cancer, can benefit substantially from Pfizer’s Crizotinib drug. It can boost the life expectancy of the patients, which is especially important as the non-small cell lung cancer variant tends to affect young people more. However the cost of the treatment is $A90,000 per year, and the Federal Government may not approve the drug for subsidies under the pharmaceutical benefits scheme in late 2014

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. PHARMACEUTICAL BENEFITS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, PFIZER PTY LTD, PETER MACCALLUM CANCER INSTITUTE

Cancer therapy worth cost, doctors say

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Original article by Amy Corderoy
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 15 : 27-Nov-14

Dion Forstner, the Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Radiologists’ faculty of radiation oncology dean, claims that under-resourcing by the Australian Government means many cancer sufferers cannot access potentially life-saving intensity-modulated radiation therapy. The body is lobbying the federal Medical Services Advisory Committee on the issue. Treatment rates in the UK have been lifted substantially after the Government set up a special funding vehicle with Stg23m

CORPORATES
THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND COLLEGE OF RADIOLOGISTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH. MEDICAL SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Skin cancer drug developer plans to list

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Original article by Sally Rose
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 29-Sep-14

Melbourne-based Ascend Biopharmaceuticals will offer its shares at $A0.35 in an IPO that aims to raise between $A9m and $A11m. Proceeds of the float will be used to finance clinical trials of drugs that are intended to treat skin cancer and breast cancer. Ascend shares are slated to list on the Australian sharemarket on 14 November 2014

CORPORATES
ASCEND BIOPHARMACEUTICALS LIMITED, ONYVAX, ALCHEMIA LIMITED – ASX ACL, AMRAD CORP LIMITED, F HOFFMAN-LA ROCHE LIMITED, F HOFFMAN-LA ROCHE AG, IMMATICS, LODGE CORPORATE PTY LTD, TRANSGENE