DKSH Australia Highlights Relevance of Commercial Outsourcing as Key Enabler for Healthcare Companies to Expand

DKSH Australia

DKSH Australia underscored the role of commercial outsourcing as a driving force for the healthcare and life sciences sector during a recent industry event in Sydney. As the Australia and New Zealand healthcare systems become more complex, commercial outsourcing helps accelerate access, unlock growth, and bring innovation to patients. 

Sydney, Australia, July 2, 2026 – DKSH Australia, a leading integrated end-to-end commercialisation platform and market expansion service provider, hosted a closed-door industry event for pharmaceutical and life science leaders in Sydney, highlighting commercial outsourcing as an emerging enabler for the healthcare and life sciences sector. As local healthcare companies navigate increasingly complex commercialisation challenges, outsourcing is playing a growing role in bringing innovative therapies and healthcare solutions to market and patients faster across Australia and New Zealand. Industry research conducted by DKSH shows that 90% of executives already outsource some part of their business, while over 60% increased outsourcing over the past three years¹, highlighting the growing importance of outsourcing as a strategic growth lever.

A panel discussion focused on  go-to-market trends in healthcare and life sciences, bringing together perspectives from across pharmaceuticals, radiopharmaceuticals and commercial strategy, with David Hendersen, Franchise Head Specialty, Oceania at Takeda, and Adrian Dunstan, Vice President APAC Sales & Marketing at Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited, joining Steven McBrien, General Manager Healthcare ANZ at DKSH. The panel explored how outsourcing models are evolving from tactical support functions into strategic partnerships that help companies navigate complexity, accelerate market access and scale sustainably.

The discussion comes after Medicines Australia launched its Access Denied report, which confirmed that Australian reimbursement timelines not only continue to fall behind global averages but are also worsening.² The report highlighted that on average Australians wait 3.6 years for reimbursed access to first-in-class medicines after global registration and that locally Australia has launched roughly 25% fewer innovative medicines than comparable countries despite ongoing investment.²

“Healthcare companies are facing longer and more expensive product launches, increasingly complex regulatory and reimbursement pathways, workforce shortages and growing pressure to deliver value. At the same time, Australia is often competing for investment and launch priority against larger global markets,” said Steven McBrien, General Manager Healthcare ANZ, DKSH, to underline the challenge of ensuring innovation reaches patients in a timely manner.

“These challenges are prompting healthcare and life sciences companies to rethink traditional go-to-market models and seek partners that can help them navigate complexity, accelerate execution and ultimately improve patient access to innovative therapies and solutions.”

Drawing on their experience across specialty pharmaceuticals and APAC commercialisation, panellists discussed how outsourcing can help healthcare companies manage complexity while remaining focused on patients and growth.

The insights from the event highlighted how strategic outsourcing partnerships can help healthcare and life sciences organisations navigate fragmented regulations, pricing challenges and evolving patient expectations while enabling internal teams to focus on R&D, innovation, and strategic launches.

“Outsourcing is increasingly becoming a board-level consideration because organisations are recognising the value of specialist local expertise, operational flexibility and faster market access. In an environment where product launches are taking longer and becoming more expensive, the right outsourcing partner can help companies accelerate growth while maintaining compliance and controlling costs,” McBrien concluded.

About DKSH

For more than 160 years, DKSH has been delivering growth for companies in Asia Pacific, Europe, and North America across its Business Units Healthcare, Consumer Goods, Performance Materials, and Technology. As a leading Market Expansion Services provider, DKSH offers sourcing, market insights, marketing and sales, e-commerce, distribution and logistics as well as after-sales services, following its purpose of enriching people’s lives. DKSH is a participant of the United Nations Global Compact and adheres to its principles-based approach to responsible business. Listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange, DKSH operates in 35 markets with 26,840 specialists, generating net sales of CHF 11.1 billion in 2025.DKSH Business Unit Healthcare distributes pharmaceuticals, consumer health, over-the-counter products and medical devices. With around 7,580 specialists, the Business Unit generated net sales of CHF 5.8 billion in 2025: www.dksh.com/hec

For further information, please contact:

DKSH Australia

Tabitha Samuel

Manager, Marketing and Communications

[email protected]

Sarah Rumsey

Palin Communications

0488 060 047

[email protected]

References

1. DKSH data on file.

1. Medicines Australia. Access Denied: The Twin Threat to Innovative Medicines Availability in Australia and the Impact on Patient Access. Medicines Australia; 2026. Published May 18, 2026. Accessed June 2026. Accessible: 20260518-Medicines-Australia-Access-Denied-Report_FINAL.pdf