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Centralized Buying Allows Better Oversight

David López - BioMarin Pharmaceuticals
Country Manager

STORY INLINE POST

Tue, 03/12/2019 - 18:33

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Q: Last year, BioMarin was expecting to win approval for Vizimim, a treatment for Morquio A Syndrome. Where does the application stand?
A: Last time we spoke, we were still in the application process for inclusion of this medicine on the coverage schemes of health insurance agencies. The big state agencies, IMSS and Seguro Popular, cover the majority of the population. For the past nine years these institutions have been very closed, not accepting a single new orphan drug medication. NGOs and doctors themselves have applied pressure to accelerate the approval of treatments, simply because they see the potential of these new medicines and treatments. In 2018, we were very happy to receive the approval from Seguro Popular for our product. It was a significant event. The key was to work closely with the government to create a strategic alliance to combat this syndrome. Unfortunately, with IMSS our approval process continues.
Q: What is your view of centralized acquisition of medications, particularly for insurance companies?
A: The health sector does not have a fixed protocol for this. IMSS has been doing large-scale centralized buys of medication for a long time and they have a mechanism for this. Personally, I think centralized buying is smart because it reduces unaccounted losses. In the past, funds would be designated to the states to buy the necessary resources. However, large amounts of money disappeared. Doing it centrally will allow better oversight. Equally, the individual health providers will not have to take charge of buying, which will allow them to focus on their other operations.
Q: It is estimated that 8 million Mexicans live with some rare disease. How can the private and public sectors improve diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases?
A: There are two main pillars. One is neonatal testing. Recently, the director of IMSS signaled it would widen the different conditions tested after birth. Which diseases is still not clear. Currently, there is also an initiative in the Senate that is proposing to include a list of metabolic, genetic rare diseases in this test. The earlier diseases are detected the better chances of prognosis and a better life for the patient. The public sector has understood this and has created different programs. In this case, there have been strong examples of good cooperation between laboratories that are providing their services to the government.
The second pillar is education. At medical school there is still a lack of attention to rare diseases. Many doctors do not know how to diagnose and manage these diseases. This means it can take years before a person receives the right treatment, which often requires a multidisciplinary team of caregivers.
Q: What integral mechanisms need to be implemented to increase access to innovative medicine in Mexico?
A: One of the ways this is happening is that pharmaceutical companies are meeting with insurance companies to propose projects. These include not just a medication, but a whole service. Insurance companies can invest in these projects. One way you can offer a risk-shared product is if you agree to a plan where the payer only covers medication if it works. The government can certainly be an ally with the pharmaceutical industry. Innovation brings better treatments that can reduce the overall burden on the health budget over the longer term.
Q: What are your main goals for the medium term in Mexico?
A: One is to continue soliciting IMSS to get Vizimim approved. We will continue working with Seguro Popular to implement the treatment and improve the process for patients and providers. Of course, we also have other products waiting to be launched. Lastly, we will aim to optimize diagnosis and treatment by providing better training to specialists.

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