Australia-U.S. Medicines Working Group Holds First Meeting

January 14, 2006 - The Australia-U.S. Medicines Working Group held its first meeting on 13 January 2006 in Washington, D.C. Dr. William R. Steiger, Special Assistant to the Secretary for International Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Ms. Jane Halton, Secretary of the Australian Department of Health and Ageing, chaired the meeting.

The Medicines Working Group was convened as called for in the Australian-United States Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA). The objective of the group is to promote discussion and mutual understanding of issues related to the importance of innovation and pharmaceutical research and development to continued improvement of healthcare outcomes in both countries. The discussions were constructive and informative.

Last revised: October 24, 2007