Tagged with Cancer

Cancer Turkey has one of the most revered Social Security Systems in the world, providing its citizens with free healthcare and access to a long list of innovative cancer drugs. However, with one of the youngest populations in Europe, the sustainability of the system is uncertain as its incredibly young population gets older…

Cancer Novartis receives NHS approval for their CAR T-cell therapy to treat leukaemia in children, 10 days after receiving European Commission (EC) approval. “It’s fantastic news for children and young people with this form of leukaemia.” Prof Charles Swanton, Cancer Research UK’s Dubbed as the future of cancer therapy, Kymriah, Novartis’ gene-modifying treatment…

Regulatory This week Novartis received approval from the European Commission (EC) for Kymriah, their chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy for young people under 25 with cancer of the blood. Leading the way in innovative cancer cures with an unrivalled portfolio of over 20 approved oncology medicines, Novartis is the only company in the…

Spain Josep Taberno MD PhD, director of VHIO, introduces the important work being conducted by the cancer institute in Spain as well as emerging trends in oncology. Can you tell us about VHIO? “ The complexities in cancer treatment and care are myriad. That said, I firmly believe that we can…

Turkey Mahmut Gümüş, president of the Turkish Society of Medical Oncology, paints a descriptive picture of the oncology situation in the country, with the looming epidemiological shift set to transform the healthcare sector. However, he has high hopes that the country will continue to prioritize oncology as a key therapeutic area…

UK One notable quirk of the British life sciences ecosystem is the importance of its not-for-profit sector. Indeed, in 2017, UK charities poured GBP 1.6 billion (USD 2.1 billion) into medical research; more than both the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Simon Gillespie, chief…

China This week, China has fast-tracked approval for 48 “much-needed medicines.” Regulators gave special consideration to new treatments for rare diseases as well as drugs that target serious, life-threatening illnesses, like cancer. Authorities were made to sit up and listen following the box office success of a low budget film called “Dying to…

Switzerland In an exclusive interview, Bruno Strigini, global CEO of Novartis Oncology, discusses the logic of the company’s separate oncology business unit, the significance of US FDA approval for the new CAR-T cell therapy, Kymriah, and the issues around pricing for this revolutionary treatment.   * Please note that this interview was…

Poland Beata Ambroziewicz, board member of the Polish cancer patient coalition, an umbrella organization that encompasses 41 Polish cancer organizations, discusses the challenges and possible solutions in regard to hospital care and market access in the oncology community. She also highlights the importance of a coordinated approach towards the treatment of…

Austria Mario Huber, general manager of PharmaMar Austria, a multinational and an innovative oncology-based Spanish company, discusses the growth of the company in Austria and the reasons behind the success of Yondelis®, the company’s flagship product. Furthermore, he provides an overview of the clinical trials the Austrian affiliate is undertaking and…

Switzerland Philippe Held, founder of the innovative Swiss medtech Dermosafe, discusses the origins behind the company’s game-changing digitalized solutions for detecting skin cancer at an early stage, how the rollout of the technology is progressing, and the importance of patient and physician education. You founded DermoSafe around five years ago with…

Brazil Dr. Wilson Pedreira, executive director of the Oncology and Hematology Center of the Albert Einstein Philanthropic Society in Brazil provides insights into the innovative healthcare model implemented in this cutting edge cancer center, which proudly stood as the first of its kind outside the US to integrate the prestigious MD…