Assessing, funding, and implementing cell and gene therapies are usually based on limited evidence. This requires health technology assessment (HTA) agencies to develop new methodologies; payers to accept risk-based funding; industry to consider the right evidence and price; hospitals to consider if they have the necessary requirements; patients to consider their risk appetite for gene therapies; and health departments to consider all the above. Ensuring timely patient access to these therapies is challenging in Australia’s federated health system. To ensure stakeholders are aligned, all must come to the table and share their respective insights, experiences, and expertise to support planning, decision-making, funding, and commissioning of these therapies. It is time to develop a new consultative and decision-making paradigm to expedite HTAs, funding, commissioning, and timely patient access for cell and gene therapies.

Australian federal, state, and territory government representatives agreed to develop a framework that clarifies processes around information sharing, HTA, funding, commissioning, and monitoring of highly specialized therapies and services (including cell and gene therapies). A draft national framework was developed that addresses assessment, funding, and implementation of high cost, highly specialized therapies and services (e.g., bone marrow transplants). However, it is unclear whether non-government stakeholders have been consulted.

The framework for assessing, funding, and implementing high cost, highly specialized therapies and services across Australia’s public hospital system is pending endorsement by each of the jurisdictional governments. High-level in nature, the framework’s primary audiences are industry and public hospitals. While not all processes are in place, the framework is forward-looking. A detailed implementation plan is warranted to better inform the roles and requirements of each stakeholder.

The framework allows stakeholders to better understand government processes regarding assessment, funding, and implementation of high-cost therapies and services, thereby fostering a collaborative environment that supports timely patient access. Articulating process details in a follow-up implementation plan is essential to gain the trust of, and input from, industry, clinicians, and patient representatives.