Global Access to IMD Drugs: Bridging the Gap Between High-Income Countries and Latin America.

WHY IT MATTERS

If you or a family member has an inherited metabolic disease in Latin America, this research directly addresses the barriers preventing you from accessing treatments that patients in high-income countries can obtain.

People with inherited metabolic diseases (IMDs) in Latin America struggle to get life-saving medicines that are more available in wealthy countries. This article looks at why these medicines are hard to find in places like Chile and suggests ways to make them more accessible to everyone who needs them, no matter where they live.

Global Access to IMD Drugs: Bridging the Gap Between High-Income Countries and Latin America. Abstract: People living with inborn errors of metabolism (inherited metabolic diseases, IMDs) rely on lifesaving orphan drugs-therapies often developed and available primarily in high-income countries. Yet in many low- and middle-income regions, especially Latin America, patients face stark inequities in access. While an estimated 300 million people worldwide live with a rare disease, most Latin American countries until recently had little to no rare disease policy infrastructure [1]. This perspective highlights the disparity in IMD drug access between wealthy nations and Latin America (with Chile as a case in point), examines the ethical imperatives for equitable and timely access, and explores barriers and potential policy solutions to ensure no patient is left behind. Authors: Cabello et al. Journal: Journal of inherited metabolic disease MeSH: Humans, Latin America, Health Services Accessibility, Orphan Drug Production, Metabolism, Inborn Errors, Developed Countries, Rare Diseases

ASK YOUR DOCTOR

Ask your doctor about rare disease registries, patient advocacy organizations, and government health programs in your country that may help you access orphan drugs for metabolic diseases.