Affordable access to innovative cancer medicines — don’t forget the prices

Abstract

On 17 September 2015, the much anticipated Senate report on the and specialist cancer drugs in Australia Availability of new, innovative was released.1 The inquiry preceding the report, which was triggered by concerns about inadequate and inequitable access to cancer medicines, had attracted over 200 submissions from doctors, patients, patient advocacy groups and government decision makers. The report addressed the health burden of cancer on our society; the impact on patients of delayed access to cancer medicines; and the challenges of assessing cost-effectiveness, particularly for rare cancers. It also focused on ways of improving Australia’s processes of health technology assessment (HTA), by which we determine whether medicines are safe, effective and cost-effective.