Global Health Conversations

In this BONUS episode, we delve into the true crime-style medical scandal of Real Water. The company’s negligence led to severe health issues, including acute liver dysfunction in consumers like Megan Fisher’s son, Tommy. Real Water’s aggressive marketing of its unproven E2 technology claimed extraordinary health benefits, but the FDA found a potentially toxic compound in the water, that caused acute hepatitis in some consumers. The ensuing lawsuits and investigations revealed a lack of quality control and corporate greed. This episode underscores the need for stringent regulatory oversight and vigilance in scrutinizing health claims to protect consumers from similar dangers.

In this episode, I use some short clips from this CBS news episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ_Dk_EPGfAw :

Sign up to the newsletter here: https://globalhealthconversations.substack.com/

Check out last summer's True Crime bonus episode: The Case of a Clinical Trial Catastrophe - the TGN1412 ‘Elephant Men’ Clinical trial

Support the show

In this mini solo episode, we take a high level look at Philippines' health system. 

In under twelve minutes, we take an overview of the health system dynamic, payer mechanisms and the fiscal policies the nation has employed to boost health expenditure 6-fold! We delve into the multifaceted nature of the ongoing epidemiological transition from communicable to non-communicable diseases.  Additionally, we explore the impact of the 2024 World Health Assembly on climate-resilient health policies, and the critical issues surrounding health financing and infrastructure improvements. We briefly discuss the diabetes-obesity-hypertension nexus, emphasizing the interconnected nature of these conditions and the need for integrated healthcare approaches to manage and mitigate their impact on public health.

Email me: [email protected]   :) 

Sign up to the biweekly newsletter: https://globalhealthconversations.substack.com/

Support the show

In this episode, we explore the economics of thinness and the phenomenal rise of GLP-1 receptor agonists in the weight loss market. Novo Nordisk, the Danish pharmaceutical company behind Ozempic and Wegovy, has become Europe's most profitable company, surpassing even the luxury giant LVMH. We delve into the social and economic capital associated with thinness, examining how societal attitudes toward body image drive the profitability of weight loss drugs.

We also break down the science behind GLP-1 receptor agonists, including their mechanisms and market dynamics. We'll discuss the first-in-class drugs like Saxenda, and best-in-class competitors such as Trulicity and Mounjaro. Novo Nordisk’s strategic business moves, including their significant investment in R&D and marketing, have cemented their market dominance. Additionally, we highlight the broader implications of these drugs on global health and their potential for continued growth in a competitive landscape.

Resources

1. Skinny at all costs? Unravelling the weight loss sensation causing supply chain mayhem
2. : Q1 Pharma Financials Published Across the sector - Guess who's in the lead?
3. Economist: The economics of thinness
4. Lancet: Semaglutide versus GLP-1 agonists 
5. Fortune: Wegovy and Ozempic have ignited a gold rush in pharma as well as an upsurge in fake ‘skinny jabs’, leading to surge in hospitalizations ft Bloomberg
6. Vanity Fair: Why Counterfeit Ozempic Is a Global- Growth Industry
7. Economist: The battle over the trillion-dollar weight-loss bonanza Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are making blockbuster drugs. Can they maintain their lead?
8. Life After Food? A diabetes drug has become an off-label appetite suppressant
9. How Do Diabetes Medicines Work for Weight Loss? (Yottled) 
10. Cleaveland Clinic: GLP-1 Agonists
11. Wegovy vs. Ozempic
12. Guardian: Wegovy maker Novo Nordisk becomes Europe’s most valuable firm
13. Wegovy (semaglutide): a new weight loss drug for chronic weight management - Singh et al. 
14. Guardian: firm behind weight loss drug Wegovy raises profit forecast to £15.3bn
15. First in class, best in class or a wild card
16. Compare and Contrast the Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP1RAs) - Feb '24 
17. Ozempic, Trulicity, and More: 10 GLP-1 Agonist Drugs and How to Navigate Your Options
18. Guardian: Women advised to pair effective contraception with ‘skinny jabs’ Amid baby boom reports linked to drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic, experts say it would be ‘wise’ to take extra precautions
19. SciAm: Oze

Support the show

In this week’s episode, we look at Colombia's recent move in issuing its first compulsory license. The country challenged ViiV Healthcare's monopoly on their patented drug, dolutegravir, an HIV therapeutic, in an attempt to open doors for affordable generic versions and thus improve accessibility & affordability. 

We explore the nuances of licensing mechanisms - voluntary agreements & compulsory licenses. We discuss their impact on public health and innovation, drawing parallels with past instances. We also delve into the proposed European Union-wide Compulsory Licence and industry perspectives on intellectual property. Hard subject here - and as someone who started out in Pharma I find it hard to put full advocacy behind non-market driven mechanisms. But what does the data say?

1. Sudan - https://www.rescue.org/article/fighting-sudan-what-you-need-know-about-crisis

Sign up to the Global Health Conversations Newsletter! :)

2. Colombia issues compulsory license for https://healthpolicy-watch.news/colombia-issues-compulsory-license-to-get-key-generic-hiv-medicine-dolutegravir/#:~:text=The%20government%20of%20Colombia%20has,the%20patent%20owner%2C%20ViiV%20Healthcare.

3. ViiV HEALTHCARE STATEMENT ON COMPULSORY LICENCE FOR DOLUTEGRAVIR IN COLOMBIA https://viivhealthcare.com/hiv-news-and-media/news/company-statements/viiv-healthcare-statement-on-compulsory-licence-for-dolutegravir-in-colombia/

4. MPP agreement https://medicinespatentpool.org/licence-post/dolutegravir-adult-dtg

5. Draft WHO Pandemic Agreement - March 2024 - https://apps.who.int/gb/inb/pdf_files/inb9/A_inb9_3-en.pdf

6. Proposal for article 11b - https://www.southcentre.int/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/SV261_240423.pdf

7. Paper - Access to medicines after TRIPS: Is compulsory licensing an effective mechanism to lower drug prices? A review of the existing evidence - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7468182/

8. IFPMA non comprehensive list of voluntary licenses and non-assert declarations: https://www.ifpma.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/i2023_2010_07_28_IFPMA_Statement_VoluntaryLicensing_NonAssert_28Ju.pdf

9. How The EU Prepares For the Next Global Pandemic Domestically: An Examination of the Union Compulsory Licence  https://genevahealthfiles.substack.com/p/how-the-eu-prepares-for-the-next?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=79396&post_id=143395445&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=1zo8cv&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

10. GSK position on IP:

Support the show

This is Part 2 of our 2 Part interview.

Listen here  for Part 1:
- Listen here on Spotify
- Listen here on Apple Podcasts
- Listen here on Audible

Today I interview Ema Prohić and we discuss proper teeth brushing, systemic issues in dental care and continue on the theme of the true cost of oral health. Drawing on her experience in different health systems, we discuss the financing of dental procedures, dentist fear and how to avoid the most common oral health pitfalls. We also discuss a public health project that I lead back in 2020 with the Ministry of Health Qatar and PHCC wherein she focussed on integrating oral health into a primary care program. This is Part 1 of a super conversation this season. And you won't want to miss it.

Ema is a doctor of dental medicine from Croatia, currently undertaking her specialization in orthodontics and facial orthopedics in Barcelona, Spain. She  started her professional career as a dentist in the UK after completing her MSc in International Health Management  at Imperial College Business School and has continued working in the UK  in several dental practices as an NHS and private practitioner.

Join The Conversation - Sign up to the Global Health conversations newsletter: Check out the  newsletter

Contact me: [email protected]

Support the show

On this episode I interview Ema Prohić and we discuss the true cost of oral health. Drawing on her experience in different health systems, we discuss the financing of dental procedures, dentist fear and how to avoid the most common oral health pitfalls. We also discuss a public health project that I lead back in 2020 with the Ministry of Health Qatar and PHCC wherein she focussed on integrating oral health into a primary care program. This is Part 1 of a super conversation this season. And you won't want to miss it. 

Ema is a doctor of dental medicine from Croatia, currently undertaking her specialization in orthodontics and facial orthopedics in Barcelona, Spain. She  started her professional career as a dentist in the UK after completing her MSc in International Health Management  at Imperial College Business School and has continued working in the UK  in several dental practices as an NHS and private practitioner. 

Resources; 

Support the show

In this episode we discussed oral health as a public health issue. Discussing system challenges, incentivisation and disincentivasation, dental caries as the most common infectious disease, bacteria and the use of antibiotics.

Ema is a doctor of dental medicine from Croatia, currently undertaking her specialization in orthodontics and facial orthopedics in Barcelona, Spain. She  started her professional career as a dentist in the UK after completing her MSc in International Health Management  at Imperial College Business School and has continued working in the UK  in several dental practices as an NHS and private practitioner.

Watch the cheeky behind the scenes video as I remote recorded this episode with Dr Ema Prohic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYtwPcdP-2w&list=PLuMBJBscY0rlz0UzeigxHVA3bfRMnzz7i&index=2

The Podcast episode will be available on Global Health Conversations wherever you listen on Sunday 31 March.

Support the show

In this episode, in recognition of International Women's Day, we talk about cervical cancer and discuss its significance as a symbol of global health disparities and gender inequality. Cervical cancer incidence is exacerbated by socio-economic factors and disproportionately affects women in poverty. 

We discuss the importance of HPV vaccination, regular screening, and innovative prevention strategies like diagnostic tools to enable self-sampling. And the incredible toll of the devastating disease.

Resources:

Subscribe to the newsletter - https://globalhealthconversations.substack.com

1. Podcast Episode: Cancer in Africa: The dual burden of disease  

2. HPV self-sampling for cervical cancer screening: a systematic review of values and preferences: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34011537/

3. Cancer in sub-Saharan Africa in 2020: a review of current estimates of the national burden, data gaps, and future needs: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1470204522002704

4. Podcast Episode: The Role of Storytelling in Women's Health

5. World Bank: New Data Show Massive, Wider-than-Expected Global Gender Gap

6. No equality for working women in any country in the world, study reveals

Support the show

Check out the  newsletter

In this week’s solocast we discussed the cost of medical care. Particularly, I attempted to answer the question: Why do Americans pay (so much) more for healthcare? With my health economist hat on - I looked into transparency, drug prices and administrative costs. But are these only reasons that the US has the world’s third highest out of pocket health expenditure? And, moreover, how does this affect patients and patient outcomes?

Resources:

1. Why are American Healthcare costs so high - Vlogbrothers
2. Vox: The true story of America’s sky-high prescription drug prices

Get in touch with me here: [email protected]

Support the show

This is the official last episode of Season 1! The Global Health Conversations Newsletter continues throughout the holidays until we're back after the Christmas holidays. Click here to Sign up to the free Global Health Conversations fortnightly newsletter. It is packed with the latest news in global health with themes each fortnight. You will also be notified when the next exciting interview is up!

Today's episode focussed on sustainability in the Pharma and biotech industries - redefining what sustainability means in the field. Our special guest, Elisabetta Marani, or Eli, as I call her is a sustainability expert with almost a decade of experience working gin sustainability, CSR, continuous improvement & supply chain in the Pharma, Biotech and Medical devices industries; including at Biotech, Catalent and Amplifion. She has a wealth of knowledge and a dear friend of mine having completed our MScs together in Drug Discovery & Pharma Management at the UCL School of Pharmacy. She is also the founder of The Young Sustainability Network - providing guidance and solutions for young professionals with an interest in working in sustainability.

We talked about many topics including circular economy, greenwashing, net zero carbon emissions goals and the role of sustainability in Pharma, practical solutions, access to medicines as a key objective of the industry alongside furthering environmental sustainability aims and if you are a young professional interested in this area - be sure to listen to the end as Eli provides her expert advice in this area. If you are not a young professional, be sure to listen to the very end for Eli's advice as to how we can all make a difference in our personal spheres of work.

About Today's Guest:

Elisabetta Marani graduated in Biochemistry at the University of Sheffield, pursued a masters at UCL in drug discovery & pharma management, and later on an Msc in environmental management at the Open University.

She worked in the pharma & biotech industry for 6+ years, first focusing on environmental impact of pharma production sites and progressively moving to corporate roles of ESG reporting, wider corporate social responsibility programs management. She recently moved over to the medical device/hearing care industry and is now in the function of procurement, focusing on building sustainable supply chain and sourcing programs .

She is a Certified Auditor ISO14001, Sustainability Practitioner (IEMA) and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. She is also founder of The Young Sustainability Network (TYSN), an online global community aimed to support and empower young professionals as they embark in sustainability careers.

Disclaimer provided by guest:
Views expressed are personal opinions of the guest speaker and do not represent the views of the companies she has worked or currently works for in any way.

If you are interested in a career in sustainability and would like to get in touch with Eli's initiative, reach out to The Young Sustainability Network (link).

Support the show