As the European Union edges toward parliamentary elections, patient advocates have a message for candidates: Prioritise heart health. As outlined in a recently released manifesto from the European Heart Network, a Brussels-based alliance of foundations and associations dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke, Members of the European Parliament have the opportunity to support investment … Continued
More than 50 percent of Europeans have raised cholesterol, increasing their risk of heart attack, stroke and death – and costing the EU billions every year in health care expenses and lost productivity. So explains a new “Fast Facts” policy brief from the European Alliance for Patient Access, a division of the Global Alliance for … Continued
England has a plan. It’s comprehensive, long term and aimed at preventing 150,000 heart attacks and strokes over the next 10 years. How? By, among other measures, reducing high cholesterol, hypertension and atrial fibrillation. Recently released by the National Health Service, England’s “Long-Term Plan” outlines national health strategies for a variety of national health needs … Continued
A new international treaty has important implications for patients’ access to innovative treatments. On November 30, during the G20 Summit in Buenos Aires Argentina, President Trump, Prime Minister Trudeau and President Peña Nieto signed the new U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement. Once approved by the U.S. Congress, this trade deal will replace NAFTA as the free … Continued
Patients who are eager for the next generation of treatments and cures will be well served by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. This agreement provides intellectual property protections that promote patient access to innovative medicine, clearing the way for new treatments for cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and many other conditions.
When public health emergencies threaten developing nations, governments may look for cheap, fast ways to secure necessary medicine. One option is compulsory licensing, the topic of a new “Fast Facts” from the Global Alliance for Patient Access. But how does compulsory licensing work? And does it really meet patients’ needs? Compulsory licensing occurs when governments … Continued
Patient advocates from Latin America are about to get schooled – in the best possible way. The first collaborative education program for advocacy leaders, Miami’s Latin American Patient Academy, now offers the only program of its kind in the world. The academy allows advocacy organizations to strengthen their leaders in three areas: Regulations Evaluation of … Continued
Do patients have a say in what drug they’re given at hospital? In Portugal, the National Commission for Pharmacy and Therapeutics gave a resounding “yes” this month with a newly released clarification document. The document addresses the use of biosimilars and any switching from a reference product to a biosimilar. The issue was the subject … Continued
Heart patients in Europe have something to celebrate. This week, the European Commission approved a groundbreaking new drug, evolocumab, to prevent heart attack and stroke for patients who have already survived a cardiac event. The approval marks the entry of an important new tool for secondary prevention. Evolocumab is a PCSK9 inhibitor, which reduces cardiovascular … Continued