Australia's IBD patients hit by medicines access gap as drugs bypass market

A report by Medicines Australia found that only 25% of innovative medicines launched globally in the past decade have been reimbursed through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), compared with 46% in the United Kingdom and 88% in the United States. The analysis identified 18 medicines that companies have delayed or abandoned in Australia because the market is deemed commercially unattractive.

For the estimated 180,000 Australians living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) – including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis – the narrowing access to newer therapies is leading to avoidable surgeries and long‑term complications. Associate Professor Réme Mountifield, a gastroenterologist and board director of Crohn’s & Colitis Australia, warned that “we can’t see a patient at diagnosis and say this drug is perfect for you” and emphasized the need for a range of agents that target different inflammatory pathways to achieve remission.

Clinicians say the lack of multiple treatment options forces patients to cycle through therapies, often losing response over time, and the current PBS reimbursement structure is limiting the availability of these advanced medicines in Australia.