‘We must face the fact that our current drug approval system is not fit for purpose,’ says Kylea Tink MP

Pharma News: October marks the annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a crucial event that, for years, has prompted thousands of Australian women and their families to reflect on the ongoing battle against breast cancer. The statistics are stark: one in seven women in Australia will face a breast cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. While strides have been made in detection, treatment, and support over the past two decades, the fight for zero deaths from breast cancer in the country continues.

Yesterday, at the Parliamentary Friends of Cancer Care and Cure Breast Cancer Awareness event, Kylea Tink MP, Independent Member for North Sydney, addressed the significance of this ongoing struggle. “As more than just awareness, I want to acknowledge the continued struggle of people experiencing breast cancer to access the absolute best treatments, which I believe is a fundamental right in Australia,” she said.

Ms Tink and members of the Parliamentary Friends of Cancer Care and Cure hosted Pink Hope, a national charity dedicated to empowering individuals to take control of their health, assess, understand, and reduce their risk of breast cancer while offering practical support every step of the way. This event brought together a community of those with lived experiences, healthcare professionals, and advocates.

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Renee, who shared her family’s personal story of her breast cancer diagnosis attributed to a BRCA1 gene fault, served as a powerful testament to the courage and bravery required in facing this disease. She spoke passionately about her greatest fear not being her own experience with breast cancer but the possibility that her children may face the same future due to the inherited gene fault.

Ms Tink pointed out the need for improvements in the drug approval system. “While there are many reasons to have hope, and the innovation in the treatment space is one that provides a particular light, we must face the fact that our current drug approval system is not fit for purpose.

“Keytruda has been available in the US for over 40 cancers for the last three years, yet here in Australia we have only just approved it as of 1 September for metastatic breast cancer. We eagerly await the approval of Keytruda to treat early-stage breast cancer, hopefully on 1 November this year, and I call on the government to prioritise that approval and that provision. It has moved through all of the technical processes; it simply needs to be put into the system. Every week that we delay that, four women are dying. This is unacceptable,” she stressed.

Ms Tink also emphasized the importance of reviewing screening protocols and practices in Australia. “We must move beyond what has been the case for 30 years and bring ourselves into this decade for what people deserve. In many ways, breast cancer has led the way. We must continue to let it lead the way in other cancers,” she remarked.

Pink Hope expressed gratitude to the advocates, saying “It’s great when patient-focused organisations, clinicians and industry come together for a shared goal – to advocate for improvements for the triple-negative breast cancer community. A warm thank you to Prashant Nikam, Renee Marsicano and Dr Sanjeev Kumar for contributing their unique perspectives to our discussion.”

The Parliamentary Friends of Cancer Care and Cure Breast Cancer Awareness event, coordinated by MSD Australia & New Zealand, exemplified the collective effort to drive awareness, treatment innovation, and support for those battling breast cancer, while reminding us of the vital work that still lies ahead in the fight against this formidable disease.

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