Grant Grant Support action of the IIS Aragón Covid-19
22 March, 2020
Aemps and the pharmaceutical industry will protect the safety of patients participating in clinical trials, despite the coronavirus
23 March, 2020
Open letter from the president of Farmaindustria in the face of the Covid-19 crisis
The new decade has begun with the global challenge of facing a new type of coronavirus that the World Health Organization (WHO) has already classified as a pandemic. In these times of uncertainty and search for solutions, it is more important than ever to cooperate with health authorities, supporting and following their guidelines, and for each of us, personally and professionally, to assume our responsibilities.
In this sense, both the health services of the different autonomies and the health professionals have responded by setting an example of dedication and good work, essential to face the challenge, which has translated in recent days into spontaneous recognition by a large part of the population, aware of the importance of this work.
In the case of pharmaceutical companies and all the professionals who work in them, our greatest responsibility, which is also our reason for being, is twofold: to research and develop new medicines that improve people's health and quality of life. , and help ensure that these medications reach those who need them.
Complying with this reason for being and with the extraordinary demands of the moment, pharmaceutical companies are immersed around the world in an intense race in search of a treatment to combat the epidemic, in close collaboration with authorities and health organizations and centers and researchers. public and private. This work has already resulted in the identification of dozens of antivirals and potential vaccines that are being tested for their effectiveness against Covid-19.
The path covered is long, because these are drugs that are already on the market for other indications and have demonstrated their safety or are compounds in development that have already covered part of the long research process, which allows time to be shortened. All of this should help us to be positive and think that in the coming months, as has happened in previous epidemics, we will be able to have the first useful medicines against this virus.
I am convinced that the knowledge that the pharmaceutical industry has generated with the discovery and development of highly effective antiviral agents for other very serious infections, such as HIV and hepatitis, or of vaccines such as those for Ebola and HIV, which are currently in Advanced clinical development will allow us to move faster in finding a solution for this new virus.
On the other hand, there is concern about the possibility that this health crisis will have an impact in terms of supply and supply of medicines. Pharmaceutical companies are very aware of the importance of medicine for patients and for the health professionals who care for them and of the need, therefore, to anticipate and resolve any supply problem. We have contingency plans in place and we work in close and continuous cooperation with the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (Aemps) to share information in the event that any alteration is detected in the supply of drugs and articulate the appropriate measures to guarantee the patient care. We also work with distributors and pharmacies to ensure that the entire medication chain works in a coordinated and efficient manner.
It is important to send this message of calm to the population by health agents, to remain calm at this exceptional time.
