NeuroEndocrine Cancer Australia CEO Meredith Cummins and Media and External Relations Manager Ciara Connolly attended PharmAus2025, one of Australiau2019s leading events for the pharmaceutical and health sectors. The event featured presentations and panel discussions on innovation in medicine, regulatory reform, and health technology assessment (HTA), providing a valuable opportunity to network with industry leaders, policymakers, and patient advocates.
At the event, Federal Health, Disability and Ageing Minister Mark Butler responded to the Implementation Advisory Groupu2019s (IAG) interim report on the HTA Review. He announced a u201crolling reviewu201d of the PBAC guidelines, starting with comparator selection and the discount rate, alongside consultations to streamline medicine assessments, rapid research into areas of high unmet clinical need, and improved stakeholder engagement.
While these announcements are welcome, particularly the commitment to updating PBAC guidelines and engaging patients, we are looking for tangible action. NeuroEndocrine Cancer Australia will be closely monitoring progress following these announcements, with the hope that meaningful change is delivered for patients with rare and complex cancers including neuroendocrine cancer.
