Portugal remains behind European media in access to innovative medicines
Faster approval of innovators, higher rate of patient access to these therapies, and equitable distribution are the main obstacles in the health sector in Portugal. The diagnosis is from doctors and policymakers, who implement concrete measures that agree with patients’ patients or problem solvers. For this, considers Miguel Abreu, president of the Portuguese Society of Oncology (O), it is important that patients can “have a voice in these decisions”.
See access to innovation in the European Union is uneven, as studies and confirm health professionals, MEPs Maria da Graça Carvalho and Manuel Pizarro find the solution in the pandemic. “I suggest looking at what happened during the pandemic with funding and the vaccine in such a short time”, points out the MEP. However, with regard to rare oncological diseases, and in particular to cancer of cancer, there is much more to be done, denounce sick patients.
“Access to innovation in rare oncological diseases: challenges in ovarian cancer”, an event organized by Expresso with the support of GSK, brought together national and international experts to debate the future of health in Portugal and Europe.
Discover the main challenges and paths prepared by experts by a conference:
The burden of rare cancer
- Rare oncological diseases are most often diagnosed when diagnosed and treated, in ovarian cancer. “There is a great lack of genetic tests in the country”, laments Cláudia Fraga, president of the MOG association. Since early diagnosis is a fundamental condition to ensure the best prospects for success in fighting the disease, it is responsible for greater agility in referring the patient’s illness in primary health care.
- United Kingdom, Spain and Italy examples of three countries with the best therapeutic innovation in this area, promoting access to patients, but promoting all of Italy’s challenges: increasing women’s awareness of the symptoms of this form of cancer. “It’s important to know the symptoms”, stresses Rachel Downing, from the Target Ovarian Cancer association.
- In national, standard first-line reimbursement for sick patients is limited to genetic genetic cases. 75% of these women are not entitled to therapy, which costs around €7000 per month. “A recurrence is much more expensive for the country than paying for first-line treatment”, accuses Cláudia Fraga.
Role of the European Union
- “I hope the teachings [da pandemia] can be used progressive in a good way”, Rui Santos Ivo, president of Infarmed, about an equity in the access to innovators in the European space.
- Among 39 countries, Portugal ranks 31st in terms of time to make the latest therapies available. “It is necessary to reverse this reality that so harms society, namely those who live with our oncological diseases”, pointing out Maurizio Borgatta, director general of GSK Portugal.
- For Fernando Araújo, director of the Oncology Service at Centro Hospitalar e Universitário do Porto, in addition to the role of the European Commission, and a path towards a true EU health solution, the is simple: “The best measure was for Infarmed to fulfill the solution the law that exists and that gives you 180 days to respond [aos pedidos de aprovação]”.
- Collaboration was the key word in this afternoon’s discussion, with Maria da Graça Carvalho the advocate of increasing national participation in European scientific research networks, in order to accelerate access to innovation. Adequacy of resources and greater organization of services is essential, highlighting Manuel Pizarro, to increase the number of clinical trials carried out in Portuguese territory. “The number is still below our capacity,” he says.