AusBiotech has welcomed parliamentary approval of the Medical Research Future Fund.
Several amendments to the Bill were negotiated this week between the Greens and the Government, which have been supported by the ALP and crossbenchers, including:
- A change to the definition of medical innovation to broaden it beyond ‘treatments’;
- A requirement for the Advisory Board to consult as part of the process of developing the five-year Strategy and two-yearly Priorities;
- representation on the Advisory Board by individuals with expertise in philanthropy and consumer issues;
- Publication of funding decisions on a website; and
- A review of the MRFF Act in 2023 to ensure that the MRFF hasn’t been used to offset reductions in other Government funding for health and medical research.
A number of the amendments were proposed by the MRFF Action Group, which includes AusBiotech, in its submission to the Senate Inquiry, which reported this week and backed the passage of the legislation.