Medicines updates: fluid manufacturing, and PBS changes

We welcomed the announcement this week of a shared $40 million commitment from Baxter and the federal government to expand production of IV fluids in Australia. Baxter and the government made the announcement on Wednesday with a commitment of $20 million from the government and $20 million from Baxter to increase sovereign manufacturing capability for saline IV fluids.

This commitment also follows the creation of a Medicine Supply Action Group which the AMA had been advocating for, which we covered in last week’s edition of Rounds.

Members are advised of a number of new and amended PBS listings which took effect on 1 March 2025.

New and amended PBS listings include treatments for:

• Severe Crohn's disease; moderate to severe ulcerative colitis; severe active juvenile idiopathic arthritis; complex refractory fistulising Crohn's disease; severe active rheumatoid arthritis; severe psoriatic arthritis; ankylosing spondylitis; severe chronic plaque psoriasis; moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa; vision threatening non-infectious uveitis
• Precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia {Pre-B-cell ALL)
• Retinal vein occlusion
• Severe psoriatic arthritis
• Endogenous Cushing's syndrome
• Multiple sclerosis
• Non-familial hypercholesterolaemia & familial heterozygous hypercholesterolaemia
• Chronic heart failure
• Contraception
• Menopausal hormone therapy
• Diabetes mellitus type 2
• Migraine