AstraZeneca advocates for earlier, faster and fairer access to medicines

Australian cancer patients don’t have time to wait

AstraZeneca advocates for earlier, faster and fairer access to medicines for Australian cancer patients

Growing demand to improve access to potentially lifesaving cancer treatments in Australia, and a rapid increase in innovative medicine development, is fuelling government and community interest in the future of accessible treatments for Australian cancer patients and their families.

However, it is not commonly known that Australian cancer patients wait, on average, 442 days between a potentially life-changing cancer medicine receiving approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), and that medicine being reimbursed through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

This length of time is significantly longer than the average time for the same process across all 20 OECD countries, which is 384 days. Some of the fastest OECD countries to ensure medicines are available to patients via government reimbursement include Japan (102 days), Germany (136 days), Great Britain (156 days) and Sweden, which ranks 8 out of 20 at 325 days.

Australia’s average waiting period is almost a year longer than these comparable OECD countries. For example, five AstraZeneca cancer medicines were PBS listed over a three-month period in 2023. The time from TGA registration to PBS reimbursement ranged from 240 days to as long as 1,065 days.

Rapid access to innovative treatments is critical for Australian cancer patients, who may otherwise have limited treatment options. Some patients will pass away while they are waiting for treatments to be funded through the PBS. Others crowdfund to meet private treatment costs. Some must seek treatment overseas.

To address the significant time delay that patients face in Australia, this year AstraZeneca has been advocating for the government to introduce bridging funding for medicines. Bridging funding could provide interim government funding to ‘bridge’ the gap between TGA registration and PBS reimbursement for medicines where there is a high unmet need and where patients cannot afford the time for the medicine to be listed on the PBS.

This would ensure patients could get faster access to treatment options, expected to provide improvement to their health outcomes over existing therapies, some of which have already been used for decades. This fund would help patients gain earlier access to cancer medicines that may save or significantly extend their life.

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In March 2024, AstraZeneca launched a Green Paper  at a parliamentary roundtable at Parliament House in Canberra which addressed the evidence to support the need for bridging funding in Australia for cancer patients.

At this roundtable, Associate Professor Christopher Steer, President of the Private Cancer Physicians of Australia, delivered a powerful statement about the need for bridging funding for Australian cancer patients: “Clinicians would like the ability to give new medicines to patients, the moment the science tells us it’s the right thing to do.”

Broad support for faster access to medicines has continued to gain significant momentum among health, policy and patient experts. Since the launch of this Green Paper, more than 40 experts from oncology, policy, health and industry have met across three policy roundtables to discuss the need for bridging funding. Twenty of these experts are now volunteering in a policy working group to continue advocating for bridging funding for medicines, while simultaneously developing guidelines for bridging funding that could be accepted by government as a consideration for their next Federal Budget.

For more information or to learn more about the ongoing working party, please contact Penny George, Director Corporate Affairs, AstraZeneca on penny.george@astrazeneca.com

AstraZeneca Pty. Ltd. ABN 54 009 682 311. 66 Talavera Road, Macquarie Park, NSW 2113. www.astrazeneca.com.au.

For Medical Information enquiries: Telephone 1800 805 342 or via https://contactazmedical.astrazeneca.com

Supplementary Swedish Language Education in APAC will their next School Conference in Kuala Lumpur 21-23 February 2025

Approximately 106 school associations around the world offer Supplementary Swedish Education, all of whom are funded by the Swedish National Agency of Education (Skolverket) and local benefactors. Of these associations, about 16 are located in the APAC region, and they will now gather for a School Conference in Kuala Lumpur in 2025. The Swedish School in Kuala Lumpur will host the conference with support from the Swedish School in Sydney.

The conference’s keynote speaker, Anna Tebelius Bodin, will present under the title “The Learning Brain.” What are the conditions for learning, understanding, and remembering? How does language learning differ from other types of learning? She will examine the specific aspects of teaching that can make a difference. She will address questions about what happens to motivation and memory under stress or distractions but she will also explore potential solutions for the same problems. The focus will be on the brain, dopamine, relationships, communication, and why repetition is not always the key to mastering knowledge. Anna Tebelius Bodin –  a speaker, educator and author, trained at Harvard University – will challenge established concepts about learning during the conference in Kuala Lumpur 2025.

The 2023 conference, held in Sydney, Australia, had a holistic Aboriginal framework, incorporating educational strategies and practical tips for teaching. The event was graced by Australia’s maybe leading linguist, Joseph Lo Bianco, Professor Emeritus at the University of Melbourne, who has worked with UNICEF and the EU researching community language schools around the world. Joseph discussed what is required to maintain a language abroad, noting that while educational institutions play a key role, other factors are of equal importance. He provided concrete examples from his global research on what is required to keep one’s native tongue abroad. 

From an international perspective, attention was directed toward the grammatical and lexicographical work of the Swedish Academy. Products and projects for various levels and user groups were presented by Bo Ralph, member of the Swedish Academy and holder of Chair 2 in the Swedish Academy, which could be directly used in the classroom.

The Swedish language is evolving and changing. This transformation is reflected not only in vocabulary but also in attitudes and values. Professor Emerita of Nordic Languages, Anna Hannesdóttir, presented these changes.

From theory, global research and the development of the Swedish language, concrete tips were provided by Dr Janica Nordström on how to engage students in the classroom. Janica, who has previously worked as a HSC teacher for the Swedish School in Sydney, is well-acquainted with the realities of the Supplementary Education classroom. 

In essence, these conferences present engaging and invaluable programs for educators, board members, and stakeholders involved in Supplementary Education worldwide. The full agenda of the School Conference 2025 remains confidential, but schools across Asia are eagerly mobilizing in anticipation of the imminent release of the official program.

CONTACT

principal@swedishschoolinsydney.org.au

www.swedishschoolinsydney.org.au

 

Circular Textile and Fashion Show Event 13 September Queensland Gold Coast

A Business Networking Forum on Circular Textiles and a Fashion Show and Tell

Last Friday 13th of September, SACC Brisbane together with Circular Economy Club Gold Coast and Swedish school Gold Coast co-hosted a well-attended and inspiring event discussing the Circular Economy for Textile and Fashion and how it applies to both Businesses and the Community.

It was inspiring to see such a diverse group of community members, innovators, industry leaders, and government officials come together. The evening was dedicated to addressing the sustainability of the textile value chain around the Gold Coast, a pressing issue as Australia ranks as the second-highest consumer of textiles, just behind the United States. As such, it is clear that we must urgently change our approach to textiles and embrace more circular, sustainable practices. Both local and state governments are committed to supporting this growing movement.

Key Takeaways:

  • Textiles as a Priority: The Department of Environment, Science, and Innovation, along with Seamless, discussed upcoming state and national policies to help divert textiles from landfills. These policies aim to manage this challenging and versatile waste stream more effectively.
  • Sustainable Fashion is Viable: Successful examples of financially sustainable businesses in the reusable fashion space, like VENLA and local artists from Upcycle4Better and Salvos Stores, highlighted the potential for profitability while supporting a circular economy.
  • Leading Innovation in Recycling: BlockTexx, a pioneering textile recycling facility nearby, is scaling up operations to process 10,000 tons of textiles per year. Their recycled products range from new materials to natural soil additives. It’s crucial to support these efforts by purchasing products containing recycled materials.
  • Shifting from Fast Fashion: The panel emphasized the importance of rejecting fast fashion by expanding the network of collection points and educating people on sustainable textile use. Simple, recyclable designs for clothing, workwear, and PPE are key to ensuring that textiles can be reused and recycled more easily.
  • Circular Fashion is Cool: Povel Torudd, from Berley Communication (Board member SACC’s Brisbane), gave a presentation on how branding yourself as a sustainable and circular business can increase your competitive edge, and our Fashion Show and Tell proved that circular fashion can be both stylish and affordable, showing that sustainability doesn’t mean sacrificing personal style.
  • Smart Shopping Advice: Think carefully about what you purchase—do you really need it? Consider renting clothes and always donate instead of discarding them.

A special thanks to our SACC event sponsor IKEA who provided us with Swedish cider during the night. We’re proud of our vibrant Gold Coast and Brisbane community, which continues to support sustainable and circular activities and events such as this.

SACC Brisbane (Marie, Carin, Linda and Povel)

This event is organised by the Gold Coast Circular Economy Club in collaboration with the SACC Queensland Chapter.

Find out more about the Gold Coast Circular Economy Club here:

https://www.circulareconomyclub.com/club/circular-economy-club-gold-coast/

CircularEconomyClubGC@gmail.com