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Interview
"Faculties of Medicine do not focus on diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases"
For over 10 years, the doctor Lucila de Campos worked at Roche. There, she faced some challenges, like participating in the creation of the Awareness Campaign for Early Identification of Breast Cancer, which ended up being a national action. "We were able to promote the cause by drawing the whole society´s attention and showing the importance of undertaking mammography at least once a year to increase chances of cure."
At the moment, Lucila, who has a Master's degree in Immunology from Universidade de São Paulo and international MBA from FIA-USP, leads the marketing department of Shire, a global biopharmaceutical company that specializes in areas like Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder, gastrointestinal disorders and genetic diseases.
Now there is another challenge: to help physicians early diagnose rare diseases. However, Lucila, who is known as "a professional who loves her job" and "a human being with thirst for knowledge", faces it naturally.
During an exclusive interview, the marketing director of Shire tells details of this project, evaluates the participation of the government and talks about a new legislation.
Follow the main parts of the interview:
What are the challenges of working with rare diseases?
The main challenge remains in the diagnosis. Mostly, the Faculties of Medicine do not focus on diagnosis and treatment for rare diseases, and the number of specialists (geneticists) is very low in Brazil. So, both physicians and patients feel helpless. We act by supporting the physicians and by offering technical and scientific information on those pathologies.
Within this context, what is the importance of continuous education program that you develop for physicians?
Such work focuses on helping physicians to early identify the occurrence of rare diseases like the MPS (Mucopolysaccharidosis) in children. By having an early diagnosis, the treatment can start, which is a multidisciplinary system, and patients have the chance of having better quality of life.
Which strategies do you use in order to help with early diagnosis?
We take a wide range of material when medical detailing, a checklist of symptoms, studies, images and several data. Besides this material, we invest in online education by offering to physicians access to a site with additional information.
Does the government help improve the life of such patients?
The government has increasingly focused on rare diseases. In the Ministry of Health a center of rare diseases has been created and the government implemented a new legislation to the public service. Thus, anyone can send comments or suggestions about this legislation. It is a very important step! In some countries of Europe and in the United States there are governmental incentives for research and trade of medicines for rare diseases. In Brazil, we need to follow the same path.
To wrap up, how do you evaluate parmexx Brasil work with Shire?
Pharmexx Brasil has adopted the cause of rare diseases and works with dedication, being serious, honest, ethical and easy to work with. During the medical detailing project, pharmexx has been a great partner.
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