IVD and pharma join forces in Portugal
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
João Almeida Lopes has begun his tenure as president of Apifarma, Portugal’s industry association for the pharma and – now, also – the in vitro diagnostic (IVD) industries. His appointment is marked precisely by the association’s move to raise the profile of its IVD sector membership – which used to be represented in Apifarma only by a working group – as well as by the launch of a new strategy. The association’s “essential strategic themes” for 2013-14 are: access to diagnostic and therapeutic innovation; hospital debts to suppliers; and establishing “reasonable product cost-cutting targets”. His inaugural speech last week warned of the impact of cost-cutting on the Portuguese health system (www.clinica.co.uk, 9 April 2013), just as the country introduced a 15% across-the-board cut to the prices of diabetes supplies (www.clinica.co.uk, 9 April 2013).