Making hypertension medications accessible in Latin America with PodTech™
In the past few decades, living standards have improved dramatically in Latin American countries like Brazil, Mexico, and their neighbours. Socioeconomic growth and development have been accompanied by improved healthcare and education. These changes are much welcome – they have improved ordinary people’s lives and ability to take care of their health and well-being.
Notwithstanding these advancements, the good has been accompanied by some challenges. One critical challenge has been an evolving epidemiological landscape. As lifestyles and consumption patterns inch towards trends witnessed in more developed regions, Latin America’s disease burden has followed suit. Increasingly, Latin America’s disease burden has begun to resemble patterns earlier thought to be reserved for more affluent countries.
A drop in infectious diseases has been countered by a rise in non-communicable diseases. The situation is troubling, with cardiovascular disease now being the leading cause of death in Latin America.
Hypertension in Latin America
The increasing cardiovascular disease burden is driven in large part by hypertension – the most important risk factor for the disease. As many as 40% of adults in Latin America suffer from hypertension, a proportion similar to that in developed countries.
Let’s take Venezuela, for instance. About a decade ago, in 2012, the country’s Annual Mortality Report, published by the Ministry of Health, revealed that cardiac diseases were responsible for 30,000 deaths annually while strokes accounted for 11,000 deaths annually. This number is higher than that attributed to cancer, which was estimated to claim 22,000 deaths per year.
The most troubling fact about Latin America’s hypertension prevalence and mortality burden is that the condition is reversible. With timely diagnosis and fairly cheap medications, hypertension or high blood pressure can be prevented or managed. This means that many deaths caused by cardiovascular conditions can be prevented.
By increasing access to primary healthcare, essential medications, and effective health devices, we can help people in Latin America live longer, healthier lives.
Barriers to better hypertension management in Latin America
Hypertension is easily detectable and manageable, but there are some obstacles to the successful rollout of hypertension management programmes.
For starters, many people with hypertension have not been diagnosed. Estimates suggest that in 2019, 37% of people with hypertension in the Americas had not received a diagnosis. In Peru, specifically, diagnosis rates are even lower, with only 35% of men with hypertension having a reported diagnosis.
Of the individuals who had been diagnosed, 15% were not receiving treatment.
Even among those on treatment in Latin America and the Caribbean, only 47% had their blood pressure under control.
Among several reasons for poor hypertension management – including issues with essential medicines lists, public procurement and more – the limited availability and accessibility of high-quality, affordable blood pressure medications (and other primary care) stands out. Studies also suggest that the indiscriminate use of unvalidated blood pressure measurement devices contributes to the problem.
The pharmaceutical market in select Latin American countries
Each pharmaceutical market in the Americas has unique challenges relating to hypertension medicines.
Research has shown that Argentina, Chile, and Mexico have fewer than 6 registrations for at least 50% of the hypertension medications recommended in relevant essential medicines lists. By and large, chlorthalidone, lisinopril, and appropriate fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) have limited registrations while amlodipine, losartan, and telmisartan have a greater number of marketing authorizations.
In Peru and the Dominican Republic, there are many registrations for hydrochlorothiazide, while there aren’t as many for chlorthalidone. In Ecuador, the pattern is reversed.
Pricing patterns across countries in the Americas are also diverse. For one medication in Chile, two in Peru, two in Ecuador, and three in Mexico, the Pan American Health Organisation’s Strategic Fund (PAHO SF) benchmark price was higher than the local price for losartan 50 mg, hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg, and chlorthalidone 25 and 50 mg. In the other examined price points, all local medication prices in the Dominican Republic and Argentina (and most in Chile) were higher than those that the SF secured.
Overall, these pharmaceutical market dynamics indicate the need for a self-reliant pharmaceutical manufacturing ecosystem. One that can not only manufacture essential hypertension medicines but also produce them at affordable rates. Additionally, regional production of blood pressure medicines can better cater to the distinct profile of Latin American patients of hypertension, taking into account specific disease progression and regional healthcare guidelines like national essential medicines lists.
PodTech™’s role in making Latin America self-sufficient in hypertension management
For hypertension, we already have the information and treatments needed to control the disease, prevent its progression, and reduce mortality. The challenge lies in ensuring sustainable access to diagnostics and treatments quickly and for all.
Modular construction can address this need for speed and scalability, especially in resource-constrained areas. While pooled procurement can lead to greater demand and consequently lower costs, modular construction can also lower production costs due to reduced labour requirements, lesser material use, streamlined factory setups and reduced lead time. On the whole, modularly constructed pharma factories can address many of the issues plaguing hypertension medicine access.
But not just any modular factory will do. Biopharma manufacturing has extremely stringent quality and cleanliness standards. If a modular factory cannot provide the required controlled environment, it cannot be an effective alternative to conventional factories.
PodTech™ solves all of these issues. Portable prefabricated pharma factories built by PodTech™ are scalable and flexible, allowing for changes in products manufactured and production scale. The integrated design of podules™ means that they can house multiple manufacturing functions, reducing space requirements. Most importantly, PodTech™’s podules™ have built-in quality control features, with real-time monitoring and data collection. This helps pharma manufacturers ensure that they are meeting the strict cleanliness standards required of the industry.
To address the hypertension problem in Latin America, PodTech™’s factory systems can be deployed to manufacture not only pharmaceutical drugs but also appropriate health devices to measure and monitor blood pressure. Making these products locally in PodTech™’s prefab factories can reduce their costs significantly, making them far more accessible than they currently are. This can contribute to better hypertension management in the region, reducing the mortality rate associated with cardiovascular disease.
Cardiovascular disease does not need to be the leading cause of death in Latin America, especially since diagnosis is simple and treatment fairly straightforward. With our commitment to providing scalable solutions where they are needed most, PodTech™ can help make this vision a reality. After all, healthcare advancements are most worthwhile when they can be enjoyed by all, regardless of where they live.
With PodTech™, you, too, can join the mission for true health equity. Reach out today to join the good fight.