Thursday, March 21, 2024
Canberra
Australia’s peak body for affordable medicines, the Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association (GBMA), today unveiled one of the biggest changes to its board.
The changes to the 2024 GBMA board come at a pivotal time in medicine policy and ahead of the Albanese Government’s third budget, where cost of living, equitable access to medicines and affordable healthcare are expected to dominate, as key voter concerns.
Thanking the outgoing board members, GBMA’s Independent Chair, Professor Jane Halton AO PSM praised the support provided by Mr Dennis Bastas, Chair and CEO of Arrotex Pharmaceuticals and Mr Juan Villar, Executive General Manager, North East Asia-Pacific, Fresenius Kabi. Mr Bastas and Mr Villar sat on the GBMA Board during a very critical period in industry, with Mr Bastas leading the negotiations under the Strategic Agreement between the GBMA and the Government.
Both Professor Halton and Ms Marnie Peterson, GBMA’s CEO, welcomed the new board members and said GBMA was well prepared for another high impact, successful year. “The GBMA board will continue to prioritise the needs of Australia’s most vulnerable patients, in particular those struggling with the financial and health burden of chronic disease,” Professor Halton said.
Newly appointed GBMA board members:
- Mr Steve Graham: with a strong commercial background over 15 years in the pharmaceutical industry, Mr Graham, General Manager, Marketing, Arrotex, leads the strategic direction of the Arrotex prescription pharmaceuticals business in Australia and New Zealand.
- Mr Graham said he is committed to working with the GBMA board to ensure the focus continues to remain on policies that support the accelerated and continued uptake of generics and biosimilars.
- Mr Jim Margaritis: joins the GBMA with 20 years industry experience across generic and innovative healthcare. As Teva Pharma Vice President APAC and General Manager Australia and New Zealand Jim brings local and regional perspectives to the table, evermore important as we deal with developing healthcare trends and patient needs.
Mr Margaritis said that he is excited to be joining the GBMA Board. We have a great opportunity to partner with patients, governments, and healthcare professionals to maximise the benefits that our industry can bring. - Mr Selva Niroshan Selvaraja: stepping into his new role at Accord Healthcare Mr Selva, General Manager ANZ, Accord Healthcare, joins the GBMA board with extensive international experience spanning over 20 years in pharmaceuticals.
With a focus on the hospital sector, Mr Selva said he was passionate about delivering world class health care that is affordable and accessible to all Australians.
Further, supporting GBMA’s growth is the recent appointment of Ms Renee Richardson as GBMA’s Marketing and Policy Manager. “Ms Richardson’s appointment marks an important next step for the association. With an increasing membership base, we look forward to further supporting our members and strengthening our voice across the industry.”, said Ms Peterson. Ms Richardson previously held the position of Grant Project Manager for biosimilars under GBMA’s educational arm – GBMA Education.
Professor Halton said, “We intend to ensure the voice of the most vulnerable Australians, especially those struggling with the financial burdens of their chronic disease, are heard and acted upon.”
GBMA Members play a significant role in providing costs savings to the Commonwealth Government, with over 900 generic and biosimilar brands available in the Australian market, representing 80% of the total generic volume on the PBS.1
-ENDS-
Media inquiries:
Jannette Cotterell
Executive Counsel Australia
0419 204 059
jcotterell@executivecounsel.com.au
GBMA Board and Executive
Professor Jane Halton AO PSM | Independent Chair | GBMA |
Ms Marnie Peterson | Chief Executive Officer | GBMA |
Ms Renee Richardson | Marketing and Policy Manager | GBMA |
Mr Sylvain Vigneault | Country Manager | Viatris |
Ms Hayley Tamborini | Executive General Manager – Marketing, Pharmaceuticals | Apotex |
Mr Steve Graham | General Manager – Marketing, Pharmaceuticals | Arrow |
Mr Clint Holland | Country Head – ANZ | Sandoz |
Mr Jim Margaritis | Vice President, APAC Cluster Head and GM ANZ | Teva Pharmaceuticals |
Mr Selva Niroshan Selvaraja | General Manager – Australia & New Zealand | Accord Healthcare |
ABOUT GBMA
The Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association (GBMA) is the peak representative body of generic and biosimilar medicine suppliers in Australia. Its members ensure that all Australians are offered the highest quality generic and biosimilar medicines in the world whilst providing affordable community health outcomes that benefit all Australians.
For more information, please contact the GBMA – admin@gbma.com.au or visit www.gbma.com.au
References
- IQVIA National audit Dec-2023