Federal Health Minister makes a confronting admission

The Federal Health Minister has admitted the sluggish approval process for new medical treatments means there are people dying who need not die.

Press PLAY below to hear his confronting admission (or scroll down to listen to the full interview)

Health Minister Mark Butler told Neil Mitchell we’re in a “turbocharged period of discovery” for new medical treatments — particularly cell and gene therapies such as CAR T therapy — and the process to make them available to the public is lagging behind.

NEIL MITCHELL: “You do accept people are dying who need not die … do you accept that? I know you don’t want to say it as a politician but it’s fact, isn’t it?”

MARK BUTLER: “Well it is a fact and I don’t like saying it because none of us like considering this.”

A review into Australia’s medical approval process is currently underway and is due to be completed at the end of 2023.

“I think it is clear to me, and to most frankly, that system is a little clunky in terms of dealing with just the speed of technology that’s coming through,” Mr Butler said.

Press PLAY below to hear the full interview on the “turbocharged” era of medical discovery and Australia’s medical approval process

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Image (inset): Martin Ollman/Getty Images / (background): Adobe Stock