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News & Trends - Pharmaceuticals

Bridging the wait: Could a bridging fund be a worthy pre-election commitment while HTA reforms take shape?

Health Industry Hub | November 28, 2024 |

A coalition of leading cancer advocates, clinicians, researchers, and pharmaceutical companies is demanding urgent government action to accelerate patient access to life-changing medicines.

The nineteen members of the Bridging Funding Coalition, which includes AstraZeneca and GSK, is calling for two key reforms: the establishment of a bridging funding mechanism and the creation of an independent expert implementation group to co-design sustainable criteria for its operation.

While some in the industry may question the Bridging Funding Coalition’s approach – particularly in light of the September release of the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Review report and the subsequent announcement by Federal Health Minister Mark Butler MP to establish an Independent Advisory Group (IAG) – the bridging funding represents an actionable solution the government could prioritise ahead of the next election.

In stark contrast, the Health Minister has yet to formally respond to the HTA Review recommendations, the IAG remains unbriefed, and no timelines have been provided for delivering tangible outcomes.

Currently, patients endure an average wait of 442 days from a medicine’s approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to its reimbursement through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). This lag significantly exceeds the 384-day average across 20 OECD nations, including countries like Japan (102 days), Germany (136 days), and UK (156 days).

In March, AstraZeneca ignited the conversation on the bridging fund by presenting a green paper at a parliamentary roundtable that highlighted the urgent need to address the prolonged wait times faced by patients. Following the roundtable, 20 experts united in a policy working group to develop actionable guidelines, with the aim of influencing the government’s next Federal Budget.

Associate Professor Christopher Steer, President of Private Cancer Physicians of Australia, underscored the urgency, saying “Clinicians would like the ability to give new medicines to patients the moment the science tells us it’s the right thing to do.”

Echoing this, Professor John Zalcberg AO, a leading medical oncologist, described the current delays as devastating for patients.

“Many new drugs subject to Health Technology Assessment processes are not available at the time the patient actually needs them. Neither the cancer nor the appropriate treatment can be put on hold while the current HTA processes play out over lengthy periods – on average around 2-3 years. As a result, these patients often miss out on the potential opportunities offered by new medicines.

“The ever-increasing numbers of novel diagnostic tests, devices or innovative treatments available in other developed countries could prolong some of those lives, if only they were available at the time they were actually needed.”

He further added, “Putting patients diagnosed today on an equal footing to future potential patients has to be a prerequisite for a truly patient-centric process in a modern, progressive and caring health system.”

The concept of bridging funding is not unprecedented. The United Kingdom implemented the Innovative Medicines Fund (IMF) in 2022, building on the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) to fast-track promising treatments not yet approved for routine NHS use. Similar models exist in Scotland and Wales, which have dedicated funds to support innovative therapies.

“Cancer patients already go through so much, and for our community, those women do not need additional trauma to face in needing to consider whether or not they are going to spend their family’s money to combat their disease, or whether they need to leave that money for their family,” said Rachelle Panitz, CEO and Founder of So Brave, Australia’s Young Women’s Breast Cancer Charity.

The Bridging Funding Coalition insists that urgent action is needed to address these inequities.

Heather Cahill, Business Unit Director, Oncology, AstraZeneca Australia & New Zealand, emphasised “The Bridging Funding Coalition is calling on the Government to establish bridging funding for eligible medicines at the time of TGA registration, so that patients can access the medicines they need as soon as they are deemed safe and effective to use.

“That way, patients would be able to receive the medicine they need as soon as they are diagnosed, while the health technology assessment evaluation process takes place over many months to ultimately achieve listing on the PBS.”

In reimagining healthcare across the entire patient journey, Health Industry HubTM is the only one-stop-hub uniting the diversity of the Pharma, MedTech, Diagnostics & Biotech sectors to inspire meaningful change.

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