Dear Ms Torrens

Thank you for your FOI request which was received by the Therapeutic Goods
Administration on 1 July 2024.

The scope of your request is as follows:

‘…all financial documents and accounts (on-shore and off-shore) showing
payments received from Your Sponsor, Pfizer in Australia, Germany, United
States and the United Kingdom…’

As an update, the line area responsible for searching for relevant
documents has indicated that your request in its current for may be too
voluminous to process and render it unreasonable diversion of resources to
the TGA.

They have advised they can provide you with a summarised document with all
relevant payments made from Pfizer to the TGA from the period of 1 July
2019 to the date of your request which is 1 July 2024. If you agree to
this, the scope of your request would be for the following documents:

‘…all payments received from Your Sponsor, Pfizer in Australia, Germany,
United States and the United Kingdom from 1 July 2019 – 1 July 2024’

We would be grateful for your consideration of this scope amendment by COB
Thursday 11 July 2024.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact
the FOI team.

Kind regards

Russel

Freedom of Information

Karen | Emily | Tara | Christina | Lily | Emilee | Russel

Therapeutic Goods Administration

Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

T: 02 6289 4630 | E: [1][email address]

PO Box 100, Woden ACT 2606, Australia

Web: [2]www.tga.gov.au

Important: This transmission is intended only for the use of the addressee
and may contain confidential or legally privileged information. If you are
not the intended recipient, you are notified that any use or dissemination
of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you receive this
transmission in error please notify the author immediately and delete all
copies of this transmission.

The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges the Traditional
Custodians of Australia and their continued connection to land, sea and
community. We pay our respects to all Elders past and present.

show quoted sections

Dear Deborah-May

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST – NOTIFICATION OF RECEIPT

I am writing to notify you that the Therapeutic Goods Administration
(Department of Health and Aged Care) has received your request for access
to documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) as
follows:

                ‘‘…all payments received from Your Sponsor, Pfizer in
Australia, Germany, United States and the United Kingdom from 1 July 2019
– 1 July 2024’.

Under section 15(5)(b) of the FOI Act, the agency has 30 calendar days
from the date your request was received in which to provide a decision in
response to your request for access. A decision is currently due on or
before 31 July 2024. Due to the statutory processing time afforded under
the FOI Act in which to provide you with a decision in relation to your
FOI request, we would be grateful if you could please monitor your emails
periodically for updates regarding your request.

Where there is requirement to undertake consultation with affected third
parties, this timeframe is extended by a further 30 days. It may also be
extended in certain circumstances, including with your agreement or where
the Department applies to the Office of the Australian Information
Commissioner for an extension.

Unless you advise otherwise, draft and duplicate documents, Commonwealth
employee names and contact details of staff below Senior Executive Service
level, internal group email addresses and mobile telephone numbers of all
staff will be excluded from the scope of your request under section
22(1)(a)(ii) of the FOI Act.

Disclosure Log Publication:

The TGA is required under section 11C of the FOI Act to publish on its
website, or otherwise make available, documents released to an applicant
in response to an FOI request, unless exceptional circumstances apply. The
TGA publishes these documents on the FOI Disclosure Log at [1]FOI
Disclosure Log | Therapeutic Goods Administration. You can find more
information about the Disclosure Log at [2]OAIC FOI Guidelines |
Disclosure Logs.

Personal information:

Should you seek access to the personal information of third parties (e.g.
the names and contact details of individuals, or any information that
could reasonably identify an individual), this information may require the
Department to consult with the identified individuals. This will increase
the time taken to process your request and the costs involved. As such, we
would be grateful if you would consider removing the personal information
of third parties from the scope of your request. 

In addition, please note that if the decision maker decides that you are
liable to pay a charge in relation to your request then this timeframe is
extended pending payment of a deposit. You will be notified by the
Department if you are liable to pay a charge and/or if third party
consultation is required.

I would be grateful if you could respond to this email by 12 July 2024 so
that we may continue processing your request.

In addition, please note that if the decision maker decides that you are
liable to pay a charge in relation to your request then this timeframe is
extended pending payment of a deposit. You will be notified by the
Department if you are liable to pay a charge and/or if third party
consultation is required.

If you have any queries, please contact the FOI team on (02) 6289 4630, or
via email at [3][email address].

Kind regards

Freedom of Information

Therapeutic Goods Administration

Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

T: 02 6289 4630 | E: [4][email address]

PO Box 100, Woden ACT 2606, Australia

Web: [5]www.tga.gov.au

Important: This transmission is intended only for the use of the addressee
and may contain confidential or legally privileged information. If you are
not the intended recipient, you are notified that any use or dissemination
of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you receive this
transmission in error please notify the author immediately and delete all
copies of this transmission.

The Department of Health acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of
Australia and their continued connection to land, sea and community. We
pay our respects to all Elders past and present.

show quoted sections

Dear Ms Torrens

Please find attached correspondence in relation to your Freedom of
Information request.

IMPORTANT: Please include reference to FOI 5240 in your payment.

Consultation

As your request relates to the personal, professional, business,
commercial or financial affairs of third parties, pursuant to section 27
and 27A of the FOI Act, the TGA is required to consult with the affected
third parties and provide them an opportunity to make submissions
regarding the release of the documents.

Accordingly, under section 15(6) of the FOI Act, and upon payment of a
deposit, the timeframe for processing your request will be extended by 30
days to allow the consultation process to be conducted.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the FOI Team.

Kind regards

Freedom of Information

Therapeutic Goods Administration

Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

T: 02 6289 4630 | E: [1][email address]

PO Box 100, Woden ACT 2606, Australia

Web: [2]www.tga.gov.au

[3][IMG][4][IMG][5][IMG]

Important: This transmission is intended only for the use of the addressee
and may contain confidential or legally privileged information. If you are
not the intended recipient, you are notified that any use or dissemination
of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you receive this
transmission in error please notify the author immediately and delete all
copies of this transmission.

The Department of Health acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of
Australia and their continued connection to land, sea and community. We
pay our respects to all Elders past and present.

"Important: This transmission is intended only for the use of the
addressee and may contain confidential or legally privileged information. 
If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that any use or
dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited.  If you
receive this transmission in error please notify the author immediately
and delete all copies of this transmission."

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.tga.gov.au/
3. https://www.facebook.com/TGAgovau/
4. https://twitter.com/TGAgovau
5. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCem9INJ...

Dear Ms Torrens

Thank you for your email.

We wish to clarify that the TGA has not received any payments from Pfizer
outside of those located in Australia and therefore, do not hold financial
records of activity with Pfizer companies located internationally, this
includes but is not limited to Germany, United States and the United
Kingdom.

As such, the estimate of charges issued to you is reflective of payments
received by Pfizer in Australia and would not change if you were to revise
your scope or submit separate FOI requests in the future for Pfizer
located in other countries at a later date.

As outlined in the estimate of charges letter, under subsection 29(1) of
the FOI Act, the decision maker is required to notify you that you have 30
calendar days from receipt of the notice to do one of the following:

• pay the charge, being the deposit outlined above, and notify the FOI
Team via the email below; or

• notify the TGA that you wish to contend that:

- the charge has been wrongly assessed, giving reasons; or

- the charge should be reduced or not imposed (for instance, where payment
of the charge would cause you financial hardship or where you believe
access to documents is in the general public interest), with reasons; or

• notify the TGA that you withdraw your request.

I hope this helps to clarify, however should you have any questions,
please don’t hesitate to contact the FOI team.

Kind regards

Tara

Freedom of Information

Karen | Emily | Tara | Christina| Lily | Emilee | Russel | Reirden

Therapeutic Goods Administration

Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

T: 02 6289 4630 | E: [1][email address]

PO Box 100, Woden ACT 2606, Australia

Web: [2]www.tga.gov.au

Important: This transmission is intended only for the use of the addressee
and may contain confidential or legally privileged information. If you are
not the intended recipient, you are notified that any use or dissemination
of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you receive this
transmission in error please notify the author immediately and delete all
copies of this transmission.

The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges the Traditional
Custodians of Australia and their continued connection to land, sea and
community. We pay our respects to all Elders past and present.

show quoted sections

Dear Ms Torrens

I refer to the Estimate of Charges letter sent to you on 15 July 2024
(attached) relating to your request FOI 5240.

I write to advise you that your request was deemed withdrawn, as no
payment was received within the legislated timeframe notified in the
Estimate of Charges letter.

Should you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not
hesitate to contact the TGA FOI team.

Kind regards

Freedom of Information

Therapeutic Goods Administration

Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

T: 02 6289 4630 | E: [1][email address]

PO Box 100, Woden ACT 2606, Australia

Web: [2]www.tga.gov.au

[3][IMG][4][IMG][5][IMG]

Important: This transmission is intended only for the use of the addressee
and may contain confidential or legally privileged information. If you are
not the intended recipient, you are notified that any use or dissemination
of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you receive this
transmission in error please notify the author immediately and delete all
copies of this transmission.

The Department of Health acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of
Australia and their continued connection to land, sea and community. We
pay our respects to all Elders past and present.

From: TGA FOI [6][email address]
Sent: Friday, July 19, 2024 9:14 AM
To: : Deborah-May: Torrens
[7][FOI #11592 email]
Cc: TGA FOI [8][email address]
Subject: RE: FOI 5240 - Notice of Estimate of Charges [SEC=OFFICIAL]

Dear Ms Torrens

Thank you for your email.

We wish to clarify that the TGA has not received any payments from Pfizer
outside of those located in Australia and therefore, do not hold financial
records of activity with Pfizer companies located internationally, this
includes but is not limited to Germany, United States and the United
Kingdom.

As such, the estimate of charges issued to you is reflective of payments
received by Pfizer in Australia and would not change if you were to revise
your scope or submit separate FOI requests in the future for Pfizer
located in other countries at a later date.

As outlined in the estimate of charges letter, under subsection 29(1) of
the FOI Act, the decision maker is required to notify you that you have 30
calendar days from receipt of the notice to do one of the following:

• pay the charge, being the deposit outlined above, and notify the FOI
Team via the email below; or

• notify the TGA that you wish to contend that:

- the charge has been wrongly assessed, giving reasons; or

- the charge should be reduced or not imposed (for instance, where payment
of the charge would cause you financial hardship or where you believe
access to documents is in the general public interest), with reasons; or

• notify the TGA that you withdraw your request.

I hope this helps to clarify, however should you have any questions,
please don’t hesitate to contact the FOI team.

Kind regards

show quoted sections