Pharmaceutical giant Roche has expressed interest to partner with the Philippines in the area of clinical trials saying this is not just a win for patients in the country but also for the economy.
William Anderson, Roche Pharmaceuticals chief executive officer, said in a forum in Manila there is a lot more that can be done on clinical trials because for one, the Philippines has a 110- million population, one of the largest on earth.
“But the clinical trials participation is a small fraction of that,” he said.
Anderson compared this with other other countries including lower income ones which “have figured out how to become more of a clinical trial center. “
“We know that clinical trials aren’t just a scientific importance, but it means a way of access for innovation for patients,” he said.
In the same event, Roche Philippines general manager Diana Edralin said policies and regulations should also support the development of the clinical trials industry because this generates scientific expertise.
“We have world-class physicians investigators in our country, and it’s also an effective way to have access to innovative medicines, and catalyze this as a source of high-value industry, not only the scientific industry, but also to propel economic growth,” Edralin said.
Anderson said Roche has been supporting the so-called good clinical practice training, one of the things required to be in clinical trial by helping institutions in the Philippines get accreditation.
Edralin noted forums such as yesterday’s which was attended by legislators and health stakeholders serve as platform for discussion on “the value of new medicines and how they can be made accessible to patients in a timely and sustainable way.”
She also stressed the need for policies and structures that make for inclusive healthcare where funding provides means that make medicines available for all “regardless whether they are in Tacloban or Manila…”
“We also look forward to patient centered policies, such as those that encourage development of healthcare infrastructure for specialty care in rural areas, for example, especially specialty centers, or digital technology so that farmers through the telemedicine app can access diagnostics and specialty care without needing to uproot themselves.” – Irma Isip
