News & Trends - Pharmaceuticals
AstraZeneca and GSK leaders challenge critical gaps in cancer care

In a thought-provoking interview with Heather Cahill, Business Unit Director of Oncology at AstraZeneca, and Katrina Vanin, Business Unit Director of Specialty Care at GSK, the Co-Chairs of the Oncology Industry Taskforce (OIT) at Medicines Australia, key issues surrounding cancer care took centre stage.
The Australian Cancer Plan, launched during the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA) conference, has set forth ambitious objectives. Cahill and Vanin highlighted the potential for these objectives to drive significant impact.
“However, the biggest missing piece was the absence of referring to cancer medicines as part of the Cancer Plan,” Cahill explained.
They discussed the disparity in cancer drug funding decisions across comparable high-income countries, probing whether this reflects issues of equitable access or variations in health technology assessment (HTA) processes.
“Patients can’t wait, and that’s where the urgency is from OIT. We all have to stand up and make those changes now,” Vanin commented.
The argument for investing in cancer treatments in Australia is compelling, with each dollar spent yielding $3.06 in social and economic value. The duo stressed that beyond the financial benefits, such investments translate into improved patient outcomes and enhanced quality of life.
AstraZeneca’s call for an Interim Cancer Fund was another focal point of the interview. Cahill shared that the outcomes of the roundtables were promising, with “broad alignment” of the concept and a clear recognition of the need for immediate action to address funding gaps.
Finally, the role of industry, particularly the Oncology Industry Taskforce, in shaping the multi-stakeholder conversation on cancer care was explored.
“We need to start solving for the next advances in innovation and always have the voice of the patient at the heart of everything we do,” Vanin emphasised.
“Our primary purpose is in making sure that patients can access innovative medicines as and when the science evolves,” Cahill stated.
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