PharmaMar has promoted this meeting, which has brought together health professionals, researchers, representatives of medical and scientific societies and patient associations with the various parliamentary groups. PharmaMar was a pioneer in Spain in promoting Phase I clinical trials in oncology.
To celebrate World Clinical Trials Day, which is commemorated every May 20th, PharmaMar promoted a meeting of the Senate Health Committee with representatives from different areas of the health sector. The aim of the meeting was to highlight the importance of clinical trials and to promote and facilitate their development in order to speed up the delivery of medical innovations to patients.
The following participated: Dr. Luis Paz-Ares Rodríguez, president of Oncosur and Head of the Medical Oncology Department at the Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre; Dr. Pilar Garrido López, president of the Federation of Spanish Scientific Medical Associations (Facme) and Head of the Medical Oncology Service at the Ramón y Cajal University Hospital; Dr. Rafael López López, Director of the Translational Oncology Group at the Institute for Health Research (IDIS) and Head of the Medical Oncology Service of the Complexo H. U. in Santiago de Compostela; Dr. Ana Laura Ortega Granados, President of the Andalusian Society of Medical Oncology (SAOM) and Deputy medical Director and Head of clinical trials at the Medical Oncology Service of the H. U., Jaén; Mr. Bernard Gaspar Martínez, President of the Spanish Association for Lung Cancer Patients (AEACaP); Mr. José María Fernández Sousa-Faro, Chairman of PharmaMar.
During the presentations, the experts highlighted Spain's important role in clinical trials, consolidating its position as a European leader and a world reference.
However, they stressed the importance of continuing to support their development, as well as the need to promote public-private partnerships for their implementation. They also highlighted the crucial role of the pharmaceutical industry, which is responsible for almost 9 out of 10 clinical trials in Spain (reference).
In his speech, Dr. Luis Paz-Ares Rodríguez, president of Oncosur and Head of the Medical Oncology Department of the Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, pointed out that: "In Spain, 280,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed each year and 130,000 people die from this disease. To reduce these figures, it is essential to invest in three key areas: prevention, better diagnosis and new treatments".
Along the same lines, Dr. Rafael López López, Director of the Translational Oncology Group at the Institute for Health Research (IDIS) and Head of the Medical Oncology Service of the Complexo H. U. in Santiago de Compostela, has assured that: "Cancer is the first cause of death by disease in men under 85 years of age. We need to be more collaborative in cancer research; clinical trials will require greater joint efforts. We need to improve cancer diagnosis and treatments”.
They have also underlined the importance of clinical trials, which often represent time, quality of life and even hope for patients who do not have approved therapies available for their pathology. In this context, they stressed the need to ensure equity in access to these trials, since many patients have to move to other cities and even to other countries to participate in a trial that offers them a new therapeutic alternative.
In this regard, Dr. Pilar Garrido López, president of the Federation of Spanish Scientific Medical Associations (Facme) and Head of the Medical Oncology Service at the Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, stressed that the medical associations are calling for: "Faster approval procedures because they are especially critical for many patients. It is necessary for innovation to be applied as soon as possible to patients and for it to be done homogeneously".
Dr. Ana Laura Ortega Granados, President of the Andalusian Society of Medical Oncology (SAOM) and Deputy medical Director and Head of clinical trials at the Medical Oncology Service of the H. U., Jaén, pointed out that only 25% of the hospital network has access to clinical trials. "Having a clinical trial is not only an opportunity for patients, it is also an opportunity for the development of the healthcare structure" she said. Mr. Bernard Gaspar Martínez, President of the Spanish Association for Lung Cancer Patients (AEACaP), highlighted the value of patient participation in research: "It is fundamental for improving the design of clinical protocols because it represents those who are really involved in the process, raises awareness in society and provides benefits at a scientific level".
PharmaMar, pioneering clinical trials
PharmaMar, a leading company in the research, development and commercialization of marine-based oncology treatments, was a pioneer in Spain in promoting Phase I clinical trials in oncology; to date, PharmaMar has led 137 clinical trials. Since its foundation in 1986, PharmaMar has invested more than 1 billion euros in research; in fact, it is the Spanish group that invests most in R&D in relation to sales (reference). José María Fernandez Sousa-Faro, President of the Company during his speech in the Senate: "42% of our R&D investment is dedicated to clinical trial development. For a Spanish company with such a strong focus on research, we need to have the support of the authorities to be able to develop trials that can bring substantial benefits to patients' lives".
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