PCFA partners with Bayer in a major step towards improving prostate cancer survival nationwide

Pharma News: The nation’s health system expenditure on prostate cancer has hit $1.35 nillion annually, making it the nation’s most costly single disease to treat. 

Analysis of recent data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) indicates that prostate cancer alone accounts for 20% of cancer-related expenditure on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), at a cost of nearly $600 million per year.

Anne Savage, CEO of Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) and Swetlana Mactier, Medical Affairs Lead for Oncology at Bayer joined Health Industry Hub‘s podcast to discuss the importance of the STARGATE data portal and how it is a lever for policy change.

Anne highlighted the emerging themes from the data and the subsequent response from patients, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and Urological Society Of Australia And New Zealand (USANZ).

With men in regional and rural areas facing a 24% higher than average risk of death from prostate cancer, Anne discussed the role of PCFA from an advocacy perspective in driving equity of access to care. Swetlana explored the reasons as to why pharma companies like Bayer take a proactive approach in enhancing equity of access to care.

Importantly, in November 2022, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Health Minister Mark Butler joined PCFA to announce an overhaul of the clinical guidelines for PSA testing. Anne revealed the developments in prostate cancer care that led to this decision and highlighted the next steps in the review. She also referred to PCFA’s focus in its pre-budget submission to government ahead of the May budget.

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