Major step towards cutting maximum medicine cost to $25
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The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Hepatitis C is curable. Why are Australians still dying from it?
Every so often, a medical breakthrough reshapes the health landscape and offers new hope. The cure for hepatitis C is one such medical breakthrough - as significant as the discovery of penicillin. It has saved millions around the world from developing severe liver disease and liver cancer by curing their hepatitis C. It is the first ever drug to cure a virus and completely cure a chronic disease, and has been declared an "essential medicine" by the World Health Organisation. It forms the backbone of treatments offered to people living with hepatitis C in Australia today - a painless cure of one tablet per day for up to 12 weeks. It's a simple molecule that blocks the virus from replicating and is very effective, has minimal side effects, and is vastly superior to previous treatments like interferon. Since it became available under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in 2016, 62.9 per cent of all people living in Australia with hepatitis C have received the cure. Yet despite this, about 70,000 Australians still live with hepatitis C. Why, in a country with universal health care and a commitment to disease elimination, are so many people still being left behind? New analysis done by Hepatitis Australia shows that 84 per cent of people now living with hepatitis C no longer inject drugs or contracted the virus in other ways: through blood transfusions before blood screening was introduced in 1990; unsafe tattooing; or medical and dental procedures overseas in countries with less rigorous infection control. In Australia, hepatitis C has primarily been associated with injecting drug use. Significant progress has been made in working with people who inject drugs through community-led outreach, peer programs, and harm reduction services like needle and syringe exchanges. With almost 30 per cent of the prison population injecting while they are incarcerated, prisons are the primary sites of transmission for hepatitis C. Our analysis shows that in NSW, 40 per cent of all hepatitis C retreatments are delivered in prisons, and needle exchange programs are needed to prevent transmission and reinfection. Australia's response to viral hepatitis needs to adapt to the changing nature of the population. While people who inject drugs must always be a priority in our work to eliminate viral hepatitis, a new focus is needed on the many people who might not realise they live with hepatitis C or were told in the past that there was nothing they could do about it. This population is unlikely to be engaged with hepatitis programs offered through drug and alcohol, prisons and homelessness services. And so they go undiagnosed, untreated, and remain at risk of developing serious liver disease. Community hepatitis organisations create stigma-free pathways for people to seek testing and treatment for hepatitis C. When we look at the demographics of this "missing group" of about 59,000 people, they are on average aged 40 to 65, are predominantly male and might have injected drugs, even just once, in their youth or had a tattoo overseas. The research tells us they are hesitant to talk about their life experiences with their regular GP, and this is where community outreach services, like those offered by community hepatitis organisations, become incredibly important. Hepatitis C is a ticking time bomb that slowly damages and inflames the liver, leading to serious liver disease and, potentially, cancer if left untreated. Most people have no symptoms of hepatitis C for many years until their liver is seriously affected. No one should die from a curable disease because of stigma, silence or a missed opportunity. Australia has what it takes to eliminate hepatitis C. We must act with urgency and compassion to make sure no one is left behind. It can be hard to take the first step to getting cured for hepatitis C. That's why we launched HepLink with funding from the Australian government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, a free, confidential service that helps people find hepatitis-friendly doctors in their area - no Medicare card required. If you think you could be at risk or if you tested positive a long time ago and didn't realise there was a simple cure, call HepLink on 1800 437 222 or visit for free, confidential information and support. Every so often, a medical breakthrough reshapes the health landscape and offers new hope. The cure for hepatitis C is one such medical breakthrough - as significant as the discovery of penicillin. It has saved millions around the world from developing severe liver disease and liver cancer by curing their hepatitis C. It is the first ever drug to cure a virus and completely cure a chronic disease, and has been declared an "essential medicine" by the World Health Organisation. It forms the backbone of treatments offered to people living with hepatitis C in Australia today - a painless cure of one tablet per day for up to 12 weeks. It's a simple molecule that blocks the virus from replicating and is very effective, has minimal side effects, and is vastly superior to previous treatments like interferon. Since it became available under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in 2016, 62.9 per cent of all people living in Australia with hepatitis C have received the cure. Yet despite this, about 70,000 Australians still live with hepatitis C. Why, in a country with universal health care and a commitment to disease elimination, are so many people still being left behind? New analysis done by Hepatitis Australia shows that 84 per cent of people now living with hepatitis C no longer inject drugs or contracted the virus in other ways: through blood transfusions before blood screening was introduced in 1990; unsafe tattooing; or medical and dental procedures overseas in countries with less rigorous infection control. In Australia, hepatitis C has primarily been associated with injecting drug use. Significant progress has been made in working with people who inject drugs through community-led outreach, peer programs, and harm reduction services like needle and syringe exchanges. With almost 30 per cent of the prison population injecting while they are incarcerated, prisons are the primary sites of transmission for hepatitis C. Our analysis shows that in NSW, 40 per cent of all hepatitis C retreatments are delivered in prisons, and needle exchange programs are needed to prevent transmission and reinfection. Australia's response to viral hepatitis needs to adapt to the changing nature of the population. While people who inject drugs must always be a priority in our work to eliminate viral hepatitis, a new focus is needed on the many people who might not realise they live with hepatitis C or were told in the past that there was nothing they could do about it. This population is unlikely to be engaged with hepatitis programs offered through drug and alcohol, prisons and homelessness services. And so they go undiagnosed, untreated, and remain at risk of developing serious liver disease. Community hepatitis organisations create stigma-free pathways for people to seek testing and treatment for hepatitis C. When we look at the demographics of this "missing group" of about 59,000 people, they are on average aged 40 to 65, are predominantly male and might have injected drugs, even just once, in their youth or had a tattoo overseas. The research tells us they are hesitant to talk about their life experiences with their regular GP, and this is where community outreach services, like those offered by community hepatitis organisations, become incredibly important. Hepatitis C is a ticking time bomb that slowly damages and inflames the liver, leading to serious liver disease and, potentially, cancer if left untreated. Most people have no symptoms of hepatitis C for many years until their liver is seriously affected. No one should die from a curable disease because of stigma, silence or a missed opportunity. Australia has what it takes to eliminate hepatitis C. We must act with urgency and compassion to make sure no one is left behind. It can be hard to take the first step to getting cured for hepatitis C. That's why we launched HepLink with funding from the Australian government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, a free, confidential service that helps people find hepatitis-friendly doctors in their area - no Medicare card required. If you think you could be at risk or if you tested positive a long time ago and didn't realise there was a simple cure, call HepLink on 1800 437 222 or visit for free, confidential information and support. Every so often, a medical breakthrough reshapes the health landscape and offers new hope. The cure for hepatitis C is one such medical breakthrough - as significant as the discovery of penicillin. It has saved millions around the world from developing severe liver disease and liver cancer by curing their hepatitis C. It is the first ever drug to cure a virus and completely cure a chronic disease, and has been declared an "essential medicine" by the World Health Organisation. It forms the backbone of treatments offered to people living with hepatitis C in Australia today - a painless cure of one tablet per day for up to 12 weeks. It's a simple molecule that blocks the virus from replicating and is very effective, has minimal side effects, and is vastly superior to previous treatments like interferon. Since it became available under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in 2016, 62.9 per cent of all people living in Australia with hepatitis C have received the cure. Yet despite this, about 70,000 Australians still live with hepatitis C. Why, in a country with universal health care and a commitment to disease elimination, are so many people still being left behind? New analysis done by Hepatitis Australia shows that 84 per cent of people now living with hepatitis C no longer inject drugs or contracted the virus in other ways: through blood transfusions before blood screening was introduced in 1990; unsafe tattooing; or medical and dental procedures overseas in countries with less rigorous infection control. In Australia, hepatitis C has primarily been associated with injecting drug use. Significant progress has been made in working with people who inject drugs through community-led outreach, peer programs, and harm reduction services like needle and syringe exchanges. With almost 30 per cent of the prison population injecting while they are incarcerated, prisons are the primary sites of transmission for hepatitis C. Our analysis shows that in NSW, 40 per cent of all hepatitis C retreatments are delivered in prisons, and needle exchange programs are needed to prevent transmission and reinfection. Australia's response to viral hepatitis needs to adapt to the changing nature of the population. While people who inject drugs must always be a priority in our work to eliminate viral hepatitis, a new focus is needed on the many people who might not realise they live with hepatitis C or were told in the past that there was nothing they could do about it. This population is unlikely to be engaged with hepatitis programs offered through drug and alcohol, prisons and homelessness services. And so they go undiagnosed, untreated, and remain at risk of developing serious liver disease. Community hepatitis organisations create stigma-free pathways for people to seek testing and treatment for hepatitis C. When we look at the demographics of this "missing group" of about 59,000 people, they are on average aged 40 to 65, are predominantly male and might have injected drugs, even just once, in their youth or had a tattoo overseas. The research tells us they are hesitant to talk about their life experiences with their regular GP, and this is where community outreach services, like those offered by community hepatitis organisations, become incredibly important. Hepatitis C is a ticking time bomb that slowly damages and inflames the liver, leading to serious liver disease and, potentially, cancer if left untreated. Most people have no symptoms of hepatitis C for many years until their liver is seriously affected. No one should die from a curable disease because of stigma, silence or a missed opportunity. Australia has what it takes to eliminate hepatitis C. We must act with urgency and compassion to make sure no one is left behind. It can be hard to take the first step to getting cured for hepatitis C. That's why we launched HepLink with funding from the Australian government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, a free, confidential service that helps people find hepatitis-friendly doctors in their area - no Medicare card required. If you think you could be at risk or if you tested positive a long time ago and didn't realise there was a simple cure, call HepLink on 1800 437 222 or visit for free, confidential information and support. Every so often, a medical breakthrough reshapes the health landscape and offers new hope. The cure for hepatitis C is one such medical breakthrough - as significant as the discovery of penicillin. It has saved millions around the world from developing severe liver disease and liver cancer by curing their hepatitis C. It is the first ever drug to cure a virus and completely cure a chronic disease, and has been declared an "essential medicine" by the World Health Organisation. It forms the backbone of treatments offered to people living with hepatitis C in Australia today - a painless cure of one tablet per day for up to 12 weeks. It's a simple molecule that blocks the virus from replicating and is very effective, has minimal side effects, and is vastly superior to previous treatments like interferon. Since it became available under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in 2016, 62.9 per cent of all people living in Australia with hepatitis C have received the cure. Yet despite this, about 70,000 Australians still live with hepatitis C. Why, in a country with universal health care and a commitment to disease elimination, are so many people still being left behind? New analysis done by Hepatitis Australia shows that 84 per cent of people now living with hepatitis C no longer inject drugs or contracted the virus in other ways: through blood transfusions before blood screening was introduced in 1990; unsafe tattooing; or medical and dental procedures overseas in countries with less rigorous infection control. In Australia, hepatitis C has primarily been associated with injecting drug use. Significant progress has been made in working with people who inject drugs through community-led outreach, peer programs, and harm reduction services like needle and syringe exchanges. With almost 30 per cent of the prison population injecting while they are incarcerated, prisons are the primary sites of transmission for hepatitis C. Our analysis shows that in NSW, 40 per cent of all hepatitis C retreatments are delivered in prisons, and needle exchange programs are needed to prevent transmission and reinfection. Australia's response to viral hepatitis needs to adapt to the changing nature of the population. While people who inject drugs must always be a priority in our work to eliminate viral hepatitis, a new focus is needed on the many people who might not realise they live with hepatitis C or were told in the past that there was nothing they could do about it. This population is unlikely to be engaged with hepatitis programs offered through drug and alcohol, prisons and homelessness services. And so they go undiagnosed, untreated, and remain at risk of developing serious liver disease. Community hepatitis organisations create stigma-free pathways for people to seek testing and treatment for hepatitis C. When we look at the demographics of this "missing group" of about 59,000 people, they are on average aged 40 to 65, are predominantly male and might have injected drugs, even just once, in their youth or had a tattoo overseas. The research tells us they are hesitant to talk about their life experiences with their regular GP, and this is where community outreach services, like those offered by community hepatitis organisations, become incredibly important. Hepatitis C is a ticking time bomb that slowly damages and inflames the liver, leading to serious liver disease and, potentially, cancer if left untreated. Most people have no symptoms of hepatitis C for many years until their liver is seriously affected. No one should die from a curable disease because of stigma, silence or a missed opportunity. Australia has what it takes to eliminate hepatitis C. We must act with urgency and compassion to make sure no one is left behind. It can be hard to take the first step to getting cured for hepatitis C. That's why we launched HepLink with funding from the Australian government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, a free, confidential service that helps people find hepatitis-friendly doctors in their area - no Medicare card required. If you think you could be at risk or if you tested positive a long time ago and didn't realise there was a simple cure, call HepLink on 1800 437 222 or visit for free, confidential information and support.
AU Financial Review
an hour ago
- AU Financial Review
Drug giants targeting Australia's PBS are paying tiny amounts of tax
Global pharmaceutical giants, including Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson, are paying a tiny fraction of the billions of dollars they earn from drug sales in local taxes, at a time when they're lobbying US President Donald Trump to force an overhaul of Australia's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. An analysis of earnings statements filed with the corporate regulator by five of the biggest US and European drugmakers shows the companies on average pay between 2 per cent and 4 per cent of their Australian sales in income tax.
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
Labor's 'dead horse' green hydrogen gamble slammed by energy expert Jude Blik as the govt urges Fortescue to repay funds
Labor's 'attempt to appear fiscally prudent' by urging Fortescue to repay handouts for a failed green hydrogen plant has come under fire, as the Albanese government continues to 'bet our future' on the fuel which has been labelled a 'dead horse'. Industry and Innovation Minister Tim Ayres has urged the energy and mining giant to reimburse the government for the millions of dollars it gave Fortescue for the defunct Gladstone plant. The Queensland operation received about $60m in federal and state government support and was canned about 12 months after it opened. The recent shift is a blow to Labor's net-zero plans, which include a Hydrogen Production Tax Incentive as part of its Future Made in Australia Act. More than $6.5 billion will go toward the scheme, which provides $2 per kilogram of renewable hydrogen produced between 2027-28 and 2039-40. Centre for Independent Studies energy analyst Jude Blik said the latest failure was 'no surprise given green hydrogen was never feasible'. 'Green hydrogen is the panacea that Australia's Net Zero hopes and dreams have been pinned on,' Mr Bilk told 'Yet it has never been economic – even for the most basic use cases in chemical manufacturing, let alone for hare-brained green energy export schemes. 'Labor's attempt to appear fiscally prudent in recovering funds is odd given they are still throwing good money after bad with billions still committed to green hydrogen projects. 'Green hydrogen is a dead horse - yet the government continues to bet our future on it.' He said that Fortescue, in principle, should return the taxpayer funds as the funds 'should be used to deliver public benefit'. However, Mr Blik acknowledged that it was not clear whether Fortescue should repay the funds without knowing the terms of the grant. A Fortescue spokeswoman said the company has been 'upfront with the government and will return funds where required under the grant agreement". Creating green hydrogen has proved extremely difficult for local industry despite massive government subsidies. Mr Blik said analysis from the CIS showed a 'realistic price' of green hydrogen was $10/kg – well above the $2/kg price for hydrogen from natural gas. 'This means that for any project to be successful it will either need to find a buyer at $10/kg, or achieve subsidies of $8/kg – both of which are completely unrealistic,' he said. 'The notion that there is a 'technology curve' that we need to be ahead of is naively optimistic, which would be forgivable if we weren't betting our nation's future on it.' The failure of the Gladstone project, alongside another US plant in Arizona, will blow a US$150m ($227m) hole in Fortescue's financial results. On the US project's failure, Fortescue chief executive of growth and energy Gus Pichot told analysts the shift away from green energy under US President Donald Trump hurt the project's viability. 'A shift in policy priorities away from green energy has changed the situation in the US,' Mr Pichot said. 'The lack of certainty and a step back in green ambition has stopped the emerging green energy markets, making it hard for previously feasible projects to proceed. 'As a result, we cannot proceed with our investments as they stand, and will explore future opportunities for our site in Arizona.'
