DRUGS – PRICES – AUSTRALIA

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

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

‘No evidence’ over higher medicine cost affecting use

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Original article by Dan Harrison
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 5 : 20-Aug-14

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, the Grattan Institute and others have cited research on the effect of higher prices for prescription drugs in their evidence to a Senate inquiry into a Federal Government plan to lift fees under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. On 19 August 2014 however, acting Health Department deputy secretary Richard Bartlett rejected claims that the increased charges would lead to some patients opting not to buy the medications prescribed by their doctors. The Government aims to save $A1.3bn over four years

CORPORATES
PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, GRATTAN INSTITUTE