Australia charts a new path for precision medicine

Stakeholders have welcomed the formal establishment of Genomics Australia as a national body under the Department of Health and Aged Care from 1 July.

“The launch of Genomics Australia is a major milestone on the path to mainstreaming genomics in routine clinical care,” said Erin Evans, CEO of Industry Genomics Network Alliance (InGeNA). “Industry is delighted to partner with government and other key stakeholders to ensure that genomics delivers tangible outcomes for patients and the healthcare system. This national coordination is essential to unlock innovation, streamline access, and scale the impact of precision medicine in Australia.”

Coinciding with the launch, the government released the updated National Health Genomics Policy Framework, outlining priorities for national implementation. Backed by more than $30 million in funding over its first four years, Genomics Australia will work closely with states and territories to drive progress under the Framework.

Momentum is building across the health sector to replace the traditional “one-size-fits-all” approach with genomics-guided care.

A recent report, based on a series of roundtables with leading Australian cancer experts, underscored the opportunity to deliver more effective and efficient care through targeted therapies. The findings pointed to improved survival, better patient outcomes, and reduced healthcare burden – particularly for rare and less common cancers, which account for 24% of cancer diagnoses but 33% of deaths.

The roundtables, led by Rare Cancers Australia in collaboration with Australian Genomics, called for broader access to genomic testing and integration into standard cancer care pathways.

However, while the vision is clear, significant systemic barriers remain. Dean Whiting, CEO of Pathology Technology Australia (PTA), stated “A fundamental barrier to the integration of genomics in healthcare is the lack of alignment and transparency between government goals and the industry and service providers who deliver the products, services, technology and infrastructure – the foundational tools – to achieve these goals.

“For translation and implementation, at scale, timely, and equitably it is imperative that we, as a collective, effectively address this challenge.”

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