Ebola, malaria and other infectious diseases are prominent the headlines. But the world’s number one cause of death is noncommunicable diseases like cardiovascular illnesses, cancer, respiratory diseases and diabetes. To stop this increasing pandemic, societies must develop medical capacity and strategies that change people’s lifestyles while providing access to affordable medicine. In the battle against cancer, generic oncology medicine plays a key role.
Illegal trade in counterfeit and substandard medicines is rising. Patients’ lives are at stake, and so is their trust in medication. At the same time, the costs to local and national economies and healthcare systems are immense. Pharmaceutical companies, law enforcement authorities and healthcare stakeholders are joining forces to tackle this global problem and ensure access to medicines means patients receive reliable, safe and effective pharmaceuticals.
Whether it’s apps that help patients monitor their therapies or smart packaging which records when medicines are taken, different devices in the Internet of Things are transforming the way we access and utilize health information.
Every day, billions of people put their lives at risk simply by cooking meals. Whether open flame cooking or unsafe stoves and fuels, both methods release smoke that causes respiratory and heart disease – and lead to four million premature deaths a year.1 Access to information about smoke-related health hazards and ways to avoid them could change this outcome for the people and communities who are suffering, and for medical professionals who treat them.
In 2006, the first biosimilar – a follow-on medicine of an existing biologic – was launched in Europe. Worldwide, many more have been introduced since then. But has the past decade proven that biosimilars make a difference for patients and healthcare systems? Absolutely, says oncologist Dr. Paul Cornes in Bristol, UK. He offers six key reasons.
