Background on Mónica Palomares and Roche Mexico
Mónica Palomares, the General Manager for Roche Mexico, has expressed her views on how Mexico can position itself among the top ten countries for clinical research globally. Roche, a leading pharmaceutical company, recognizes the advancements made by Mexico’s Federal Commission for Protection against Health Risks (Cofepris) in reducing approval times for clinical protocols. However, Palomares emphasizes the need for increased healthcare investment and infrastructure improvements.
Current Healthcare Investment and OMS Recommendations
Palomares points out that Mexico’s healthcare investment accounts for less than 3% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is lower than the 6% recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Moreover, half of this 3% is spent out-of-pocket by patients on their medications.
Cofepris’s Progress and Roche’s Expectations
Cofepris has successfully cut down the time taken to address clinical research protocol requests by 65%, from 115 to 40 days. This progress is part of the Plan Mexico, a federal initiative to boost the competitiveness of the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.
Roche’s Palomares acknowledges Cofepris’s advancements but stresses the necessity for further improvements in healthcare investment and infrastructure to attract more clinical research and related investments.
Benefits of Clinical Research Investment
Palomares highlights that clinical research investment not only advances scientific progress but also generates economic returns and creates a ripple effect.
For instance, in Australia, every dollar invested in clinical research yields five dollars for the country’s economy.
Plan Mexico and its Goals
Palomares supports the objectives of Plan Mexico, which aims to foster the growth of the pharmaceutical industry and entice more investment into Mexico.
She acknowledges the challenges in attracting new technologies and manufacturing facilities to Mexico, emphasizing the need for a supportive ecosystem that encourages research and development.
Palomares explains that creating fully national content in innovative pharmaceuticals or complex treatment development is difficult due to the specialized infrastructure, highly skilled personnel, and advanced technology required for smaller volumes of sophisticated medications.
Roche’s Future Investment Plans
As one of the leading investors in clinical research, Roche plans to increase its investment in Mexico over the coming years. Palomares aims to multiply their current investment of 500 million pesos by eight, reaching 4,000 million pesos by 2030, given the right conditions.
Currently, Roche is engaged in 68 clinical studies within Mexico.
Key Questions and Answers
- What does Mónica Palomares suggest for Mexico to join the top ten clinical research countries? Increase healthcare investment, improve infrastructure, and maintain competitive approval times.
- What percentage of Mexico’s GDP is currently invested in healthcare? Less than 3%.
- How has Cofepris improved clinical research approval times in Mexico? By reducing the average time from 115 to 40 days.
- What are the benefits of investing in clinical research according to Palomares? It advances scientific progress and generates economic returns.
- What challenges does Palomares mention in attracting new technologies to Mexico? The need for a supportive ecosystem that encourages research and development.
- What are Roche’s future investment plans in Mexico’s clinical research? To increase investment eightfold by 2030, reaching 4,000 million pesos.
