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Loading ...Brazil Launches Unparalled Study of Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes
Saturday, August 22nd, 2009Diseases of the circulatory system are the leading cause of death in Brazil. According to the Health Ministry (MS) there are 300,000 deaths and over one million hospitalizations per year, and hypertension and diabetes mellitus are major risk factors. Hypertension affects approximately 35% of the Brazilian population over the age of 40 years and of […]
Brazil Producing Generic Version of Tamiflu
Sunday, August 2nd, 2009Synopsis in English: Brazil’s Pharmaceutical Technology Institute (commonly known by its old name, Farmanguinhos), a subsidiary of the state-run public health entity Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (“Fiocruz“), has started producing capsules of oseltamivir phosphate, the generic version of the marketed by pharma multinational Roche as Tamiflu, for distribution by the Health Ministry (MS) to reference hospitals […]
A New Initiative on Chagas / Nova iniciativa sobre Doença de Chagas
Saturday, July 11th, 2009From Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi): Forgotten and with few treatment options, Chagas debilitates and kills 100 years since Chagas disease was discovered, DNDi launches an international campaign “Wake Up. Time to Treat Chagas Disease!” with a call for better medicines and treatment of patients. One hundred years after the discovery of Chagas disease, […]
Brazil Plans to Ban or Restrict 12 Pesticides
Thursday, April 2nd, 2009Brazilian health officials are concerned. In 2008 Brazil became the largest consumer of pesticides in the world, surpassing the US with a market of more than US$7 billion. Yet many of the pesticides now manufactured in, or imported into, Brazil and widely used there have been banned or severely restricted for health and environmental reasons […]
Important LAC Developments on Clinical Trials
Monday, March 23rd, 2009Argentina and Brazil are creating national registries for clinical trials. Clinical trials are research studies that prospectively assign human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions (pharmaceuticals, vaccines, surgical procedures, radiological procedures, medical devices, etc.) to evaluate the effects on health outcomes, often undertaken with a view to seeking regulatory approval. […]
Brazil Creates Cancer Research Network / Brasil lança rede de pesquisas sobre o câncer
Thursday, March 5th, 2009Brazil’s National Council on Scientific and technological Development (CNPq) and Health Ministry (MS) have launched a Brazilian Cancer Research Network (Rede Brasileira de Pesquisas sobre o Câncer). According to the National Cancer Institute (INCA), cancer is the second greatest cause of death in Brazil, and it is projected to cause 465,000 new deaths in 2009. […]
Fiocruz Gets Green Light to Produce AIDS Medicine Under Compulsory License
Wednesday, January 28th, 2009Brazil’s National Sanitary Vigilance Agency (ANVISA) has authorized the Pharmaceutical Technology Institute (“Farmanguinhos“) of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (“Fiocruz“) to begin producing the antiretriviral drug Efavirenz. About 80,000 Brazilian HIV-positive patients currently receive the drug through the National Program on Sexually-Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and AIDS. To refresh memories, Efavirenz is the AIDS drug for which […]
A Water and Sanitation Atlas for Brazil
Wednesday, December 24th, 2008Last month a branch of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (“Fiocruz“), the Institute of Communication and Scientific and Technological Information in Health (Instituto de Comunicação e Informação Científica e Tecnológica em Saúde – Icict), in partnership with the Health Ministry’s (MS) General Coordination for Environmental Health Surveillance (Coordenação Geral de Vigilância em Saúde Ambiental – CGVAM), […]
Brazil Proceeds with Compulsory Licensing of Antiretroviral Drug / Brasil continua com a licença compulsória de medicamento antiretroviral
Monday, October 6th, 2008Temas Observation: All developing nations have had the clear right to resort to compulsory licensing of pharmaceuticals since the adoption of the Doha Declaration by the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001. Brazil has long reserved this right under its own laws, although previously it has been hesitant to actually use the power, preferring instead […]
Brazil Finds 3 Promising Candidates for ARVs to Combat AIDS
Friday, August 29th, 2008Synopsis in English: The private Ataulpho de Paiva Foundation (FAP), the Fluminense Federal University (UFF) and the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC, part of the Fiocruz family of public institutions) — all based in Rio de Janeiro state — jointly announced today the discovery of three substances that are good candidates for anti-retroviral medicines to combat […]