AstraZeneca continues to advocate for earlier, faster and fairer access to medicines for Australian patients

Australian patients wait, on average, 466 days between a potentially life-changing 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. Australia’s average waiting period is months longer compared to Sweden, which ranks 8 out of 20 at 325 days. Other OECD countries such as Japan (102 days), Germany (136 days), Great Britain (156 days), also have faster listing times. For some, the wait is much longer. For example, a AstraZeneca cancer medicine was recently PBS listed 2,339 days after it was deemed safe and effective to use by the TGA, which was in August 2018.

To address the significant time delay that patients face in Australia, AstraZeneca is continuing to advocate for the government to introduce a bridging funding mechanism 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 and often older therapies. This fund would help patients gain earlier access to medicines that may save or significantly extend their life.

In November 2024, the Bridging Funding Coalition – a group of 20 patient advocates, clinicians, medical researchers and pharmaceutical industry representatives (pictured) – launched a website and consensus statement across national media to call on the Government to ensure Australian patients get faster access to medicines by committing to establishing bridging funding for medicines.

Broad support for bridging funding continues to gain significant momentum among health, policy and patient experts. At the same time, there is growing urgency across the health sector to address the reform needed for patients in Australia’s health technology assessment system – the process by which medicines are valued and subsidised to Australians.

The Bridging Funding Coalition will continue advocating for bridging funding for medicines, while simultaneously developing a framework for bridging funding that could be accepted by the next government.

For more information or to learn more about the Bridging Funding Coalition, please contact:

Penny George, Director Corporate Affairs, AstraZeneca on penny.george@astrazeneca.com

Hitachi Energy

Hitachi Energy is building on a combined heritage of more than 250 years of innovation to advance a sustainable energy future for all. With its evolution to Hitachi Energy in 2021, the global technology leader has effectively positioned its innovative technologies and services to reflect the rapidly evolving energy landscape and the opportunity to create economic, environmental, and social value. The company is a key industry partner with more than 45,000 employees globally.

Hitachi Energy partners and co-creates with customers and partners to accelerate the energy transition towards a carbon-neutral future. In addition to power generation, energy intensive industries including transport, mining, and data centres need to decarbonize in line with the Paris Agreement and the United Nations’ SDGs. In Australia, Hitachi Energy has offices in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Darwin, with dedicated R&D and manufacturing in Victoria delivering clean energy technologies for local use and export.

Hitachi Energy’s culture of innovation is deeply rooted in its long history. The company leverages Hitachi values from a foundation of proud innovation and a significant presence in Sweden, with major R&D and manufacturing facilities in Ludvika and Västerås. This culture is characterized by a strong pioneering spirit that drives the company to push boundaries, break records, and continuously evolve to meet modern challenges. Its commitment to collaboration and co-creation, diversity, equity, and inclusion are integral parts to the DNA and enablers for a sustainable energy future.

Transforming the power grid for Net Zero

With ambitious renewable targets for 2030 and Net Zero commitments for 2050, Australia’s energy system is rapidly transforming. Renewable generation in remote areas combined with rapidly changing urban landscapes, EV adoption, and industrial electrification is increasing the need for long transmission lines and powerful cross-border interconnections with minimal energy losses, and energy storage and power quality solutions.

Utilities and the future grid are critical for the Net Zero economy catering to the increasing demands for flexibility on both the supply and demand side. From cutting-edge power electronics, digital solutions, and sustainable products that enable greater flexibility, efficiency, and safety of the grid, Hitachi Energy has an end-to-end solutions portfolio, which is critical for successfully managing the energy system of the future.

As the energy transition gathers pace, the energy system needs to be more interconnected. High-voltage direct current (HVDC)², a technology Hitachi Energy pioneered over 70 years ago, is powering some of Australia’s largest interconnectors.

Marinus Link, a project of national significance, will integrate more renewables into the grid and unlock Tasmania’s world-class wind and hydro storage resources to deliver affordable and reliable clean energy for all Australians.

Hitachi Energy also enables large scale super batteries and microgrids in remote and island communities, helping to stabilize the grid and enabling a sustainable energy future for all.

Hitachi Energy’s pioneering HVDC will power Marinus Link, a project of national significance for Australia’s energy transition (pictured: comparable HVDC valve hall from Europe).

Clean and efficient transport

The journey to reduce CO2 emissions has accelerated the need for sustainable mobility. Hitachi Energy has been a rail and urban transportation pioneer for over a century. Cleaner, greener and quieter public transport modes can be scaled across cities and regions with innovative solutions in electrification and digitalisation.

Hitachi Energy was selected to design and build a charging solution for Brisbane City Council’s public transport project – Brisbane Metro. The high-performance charging system is the first in Australia, allowing the metro vehicles to charge in just over six minutes at the end of route locations.

Using Hitachi Energy’s innovative flash charging solution, Brisbane Metro introduced its first fully electric metro service ahead of schedule as part of customer trials.

Sustainable mining

Mining is a key industry in Australia’s economy, and the demand for critical minerals is growing for the global energy transition.

Hitachi Energy is an innovation and industry partner for sustainable mining. Its pioneering technologies ensure reliable energy supply at remote mine sites for 24/7 operations – increasingly challenging for the industry in an environment where electrification adds to power demand.

The company’s products, solutions, services, and software solutions allow miners to meet ESG targets and regulations, maintaining health & safety records and global competitiveness.

Integrating renewable energy into battery powered microgrids provides reliable power in remote areas, delivering sustainability benefits to communities and off-grid mining.

Contact: Isabel Wagner

Communications Manager, Hitachi Energy Australia & New Zealand

Email: isabel.wagner@hitachienergy.com

Web: https://www.hitachienergy.com/about-us/company-profile/country-and-regional-information/australia