2023-10-18 08:43:00
More and more innovative medications and more biomarkers against cancer are being developed, which is why OncoLAb coordinator, Ana Rodríguez, assures that “we have to hurry up” to introduce these new treatments into the health system to benefit patients.
The coordinator of the OncoLAB advisory board, Ana Rodriguez. Photo courtesy of AstraZeneca
In an interview with EFEsalud, Rodríguez analyzes the objectives of OncoLAB, a space for analysis and exchange of knowledge in the field of oncology in Spain, made up of 20 scientific societies and patient associations, which is supported and collaborated by AstraZeneca. But he also emphasizes the importance of research, early detection and the need to shorten the time in which patients access new therapies.
Rodríguez, who was Director of Strategy and Projects at the Catalan Institute of Oncology, emphasizes that OncoLAB was created in order to put cancer on the table of political leaders and, above all, work on innovation in this field.
“As in the biomarkers, in the new products that are coming out and that, in some way, we have to incorporate them, so that patients can benefit from them,” says Rodríguez.
Lack of agility in access
Rodríguez remembers the document “Now, solutions. Bringing innovation closer to the patient” that OncoLAB made public a few weeks ago and which, among other things, points out that “the lack of agility and alternatives to the process of access to oncological innovation in Spain is evident.”
Furthermore, the document considers that Spain “faces a structural problem” regarding the evaluation and financing procedure for innovative cancer drugs.
“The document assesses different points and one of them is basically, above all, bringing or improving everything that may be the subject of innovation, bringing innovation and treatments closer to the population,” says Rodríguez, who comments that They will take this work to the Ministry of Health so that they can evaluate it.
And the coordinator of OncoLAB elaborates on the need to support research into new diagnostic methods for cancer patients, since there is more and more talk about precision medicine and early diagnosis.
“In this sense, it is very important to also support everything that is the digitalization of patients’ genetic and clinical information. And also even use artificial intelligence,” emphasizes Rodríguez, who is currently also a CSR and Quality consultant.
As to the delay in the approval of innovative drugs in Spain, points out the bureaucracy that “makes everything go slower,” since in other countries the processes are more agile. Hence, it is committed to analyzing whether it can be “shortened in any link in the chain.”
It also indicates that political will is necessary for this.
An advisory council in the Ministry
In fact, another thing that OncoLAB proposes, explains Rodríguez, is that just as this space has an advisory council, the Ministry of Health also has a similar one.
A cancer advisory council within the Ministry that was made up of different expertswith a multidisciplinary nature, with the participation of oncologists, hematologists, pathologists, radiologists, among others, explains Rodríguez.
In this sense, it emphasizes that in the Ministry there is already a commission that advises on the pharmaceutical provision of the National Health System, where different profiles are also integrated.
“Society moves very quickly. And we are all going very fast. I mean that in some way they would have to speed up, because more and more innovative medicines are coming out, more biomarkers, therefore, we have to hurry more to be able to introduce these innovative treatments that will benefit patients,” Rodríguez explains.
The importance of early diagnosis
Along with this flexibility and agility, the OncoLAB expert also highlights the importance of early diagnosis of patients since cancer If it is detected at an early stage, the type of treatment that the patient will receive is very different, which overall would be cheaper for the health system..
Dr. Ana Rodríguez. Photo provided by AstraZeneca.
Although in Spain there are screening programs, such as breast cancer, in which 85% of women participate, there are others such as colon cancer, which does not reach 60%.
“There is also a lack of awareness among citizens to attend these screening programs and the most important thing in any disease is to catch it on time, because the treatment is going to be very different and the cost is also going to be very different,” insists the coordinator. from OncoLAB.
And investment in research and innovation is “very important,” indicates the expert, who is sure that all the steps that have been taken in advancing against cancer have been thanks precisely to that.
“Investing in innovation and research is an important advance and in the medium long term we are going to recover, above all, people’s health, we are going to improve their quality of life at all levels. You have to always keep it in mind and you should invest more,” she says.
#OncoLAB #coordinator #speaks #innovation #patients