Brazilian Health-Care Policy for Targeted
Oncology Therapies and Companion Diagnostic Testing

Companion diagnostics (CDx) are tests being developed to identify patients most likely to benefit from specific treatments based on their own genetic makeup and biology. In the case of oncology, CDx and related pharmacological-based interventions could improve the predictability of the oncology drug development process and become an important tool for oncologists in choosing the optimal treatment for specific patient groups or sub-groups. While regulatory agencies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency are now actively encouraging the use of CDx and related pharmacological-based interventions in the development and use of prescription drugs, clear and harmonized guidelines have yet to be developed in Brazil, Latin America’s largest markets.

As a result, the Americas Health Foundation (AHF) planned, organized and convened a meeting of 6 Brazilian experts on CDx and related pharmacological-based interventions in the area of oncology in Miami, Florida to review existing barriers and develop practical recommendations concerning policy fixes for the use of companion diagnostics and personalized medicines for oncology in Brazil. The goal of this meeting was to stimulate early collaborations that will result in faster access to promising new treatments for patients with serious and life-threatening diseases. The resulting paper, entitled "Brazilian health-care policy for targeted oncology therapies and companion diagnostic testing", was published as a policy review on July 27, 2016 in the Lancet Oncology. Click here for a link to the full article, and Click here to see the press release.