Switzerland Switzerland is widely praised for its excellent universal healthcare system and strong pharma sector. Seen as a bastion of efficiency and innovation, the country is nonetheless falling behind its European counterparts when it comes to healthcare digitalisation. Recent PharmaBoardroom interviewees weigh in on the country’s digital lag, its electronic patient…

Mexico The lowest spender on healthcare as a percentage of GDP in mainland Latin America. A complex and fragmented reimbursement system. Clinical trial approval delays stretching across eight months. One could be forgiven for thinking that attempting to bring innovative medicines to Mexico is a thankless task. Yet, as several country…

LatAm An overview of some of the biggest news from Latin American pharma, including Onconic Therapeutics’ licensing deal with Laboratorios Sanfer for 19 LatAm countries; Lupin’s orphan drug partnership with Argentina’s Celnova Pharma; Grifols’ distribution deal with Gema Biotech; the downturn in Uruguay’s medicinal canibis industry, and Novartis’ increased clinical trial…

France At the 13th annual meeting of French life sciences think tank, G5 Santé – which represents the leaders of eight major French health and life sciences companies, including bioMérieux, Sanofi, Ipsen, and Pierre Fabre – arguments were made for increasing efficiency in a healthcare system that is “on its last…

USA Troubled gene sequencing firm Illumina has announced a new strategy to accelerate growth. Under the leadership of CEO Jacob Thaysen, Illumina hopes to turn the page on a recent history marked by antitrust issues following its decision to acquire former spin-off company Grail.   Illumina’s ambitious new strategy comes after…

Europe This year’s European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) was the largest ever. Over 33,000 people attended ESMO Congress 2024 at Barcelona’s cavernous Fira Gran Via conference centre, where 5,000 abstracts were presented and 600 expert speakers took to the stage. The healthcare professionals and cancer drug developers in attendance were…

Global In his latest opinion piece, Shawview Consulting’s Brendan Shaw draws from classic sci-fi to reflect on the pros and cons of using artificial intelligence for health technology assessment. Shaw concludes that, despite the massive advances that AI represents, the human touch will always be needed in healthcare decision-making.   “I’m…

Global Contract research organisations (CROs) have proven to be increasingly vital partners for the global biopharmaceutical industry guaranteeing efficient and compliant clinical trials that help to advance their candidates towards regulatory approvals. CROs have also demonstrated their ability to adapt to the industry’s changing needs by enlarging their geographical reach and…

China A roundup of some of the biggest China pharma industry stories, including the progress of the US Biosecure Act targeting Chinese biotechs; Innovent’s obesity and type 2 diabetes contender’s positive phase III trial results; the strategic partnership between Sino Biological and BioGeometry; CSL’s sale of its China-based plasma collection operations…

Global Against the backdrop of a global push to make healthcare more accessible and affordable, ISPOR CEO and executive director Rob Abbott introduces the organisation’s 2030 strategy, focused on achieving health system sustainability around the world. The original version of this article was featured in the July/August 2024 edition of ISPOR’s Value…

India Contributing to the September 2024 edition of DIA’s Global Forum magazine, Siva Kumar Buddha of Indegene reviews the challenges of risk communication and minimization in India’s  healthcare sector.   In India, effective risk communication and minimization in the healthcare sector faces unique and multifaceted challenges. Unlike many other regions, India’s…

Global AstraZeneca’s Anna Litsiou, Carolyn Hynes and Allison Guy, contributing to the September 2024 edition of DIA’s Global Forum magazine, discuss the importance of improving interactions between health technology assessment (HTA) bodies and regulatory authorities.   The need to optimize drug development and facilitate faster access for patients has focused discussions…