The event, which brought together important names in the health sector at the debate table, discussed the topic that proposed expanding the population's access to Clinical Research and reinforced the urgency of joining efforts to facilitate information for cancer patients.

The Cura Project Institute successfully held the 4th Cura Meetings, on June 16, in São Paulo. The event, which took place in a hybrid way, had as its theme: “Expanding the population's access to Clinical Research” and brought together representatives from various health sectors.

LACOG Photos/Cura Project Institute

The central objective of the 4th Cura Meetings was to promote a productive discussion about patients' access to clinical research in Brazil, seeking ways to expand this dissemination and reduce existing bottlenecks for conducting research in the country. The event provided a space for participants to share their evidence and suggestions for the obstacles imposed on the process and access to research.

The event was attended by highly qualified speakers, including Dr. Nelson Teich, Oncologist and Master in Health Economics; Dr. André Gomes, Head of Clinical Operation Bristol Myers Squibb and Dr. Andreia Melo, Head of Clinical Research at the National Cancer Institute - INCA. Each of the speakers brought valuable perspectives about the scenario.

During the event, the speakers addressed fundamental issues, such as the barriers that hinder the population's access to clinical research, the importance of promoting inclusion in studies, and strategies to involve and engage doctors and patients. The lectures collected important data from the research scene in Brazil, as well as were marked by questions about how to overcome existing challenges.

According to Dr. Nelson Teich, who addressed the impact of clinical research on the evolution of health systems:

“Research must be part of a country's politics, especially public policies, and for me research is a source of information. Information is essential for you to understand the system, make a diagnosis, define priorities, define actions, and make choices. Research is much more than you bringing an innovation”.

A panel discussion with renowned names from the health sector provided the 4th Cura Meetings with a valuable opportunity to exchange knowledge. This discussion involved topics such as public policies, government incentives, and the importance of collaboration between sectors to strengthen access to clinical research.

Important names such as the Coordinator of the National Research Ethics Committee — CONEP, Lais Bonilha and the Clinical Research Coordinator of the National Health Surveillance Agency — ANVISA, Claudiosvam Martins Alves de Sousa participated in the debate at the 4th Cura Meetings, which also brought representatives from institutions such as the Chair of the Latin American Cooperative Oncology — LACOG, Dr. Gustavo Werutsky, the CEO and Executive Manager of the Brazilian Association of Representative Clinical Research Organizations - ABRACRO, Paulo Fernandes and Fernando Francisco and the Executive Director of the Brazilian Society of Clinical Oncology — SBOC.

The pharmaceutical area was also represented by the Associate Director of Astrazeneca — R&D Department, Dr. Roberto Jun Arai and NGOs, through the Executive Director of ABRALE/TJCC, Fábio Fedozzi.

The medical evidence from the debate at the 4th Cura Meetings came from the Oncologists and Members of the Cura Scientific Committee, Dr. Heloisa Resende and Dr. José Márcio Figueiredo, and from the Oncologist of the Hospital Sírio Libanês, Dr. Rodrigo Munhoz. To complete the panel, she was with the Cura Project Institute, the Master and Doctor in International Law — Lawyer and Researcher, Dr. Analuza Bolivar Dellari.

At the end of the 4th Cura Meetings, the participants concluded that it is essential to create a favorable environment for patients to have wider access to clinical research. To this end, it is necessary to promote public policies that encourage participation, increase awareness of the importance, and establish solid partnerships between the different health sectors.

The event takes place in the calendar of the Cura Project Institute, as an important moment in Clinical Research, becoming, with each edition, more inspiring and enriching, reinforcing the institution's commitment to playing a fundamental role in supporting information, education and other barriers imposed by the population's difficulty in accessing clinical research, such as: regulatory aspects, encouragement and training of doctors and health professionals, infrastructure and decentralization of Research Centers, investments in pharmaceutical laboratories and resources for the funding of independent research.

The 4th Cura Meetings, which was supported by the Latin American Cooperative Oncology Group (LACOG), the ETHICS Institute - Research and Teaching and PRIO, was attended by about 40 people in person, including participants and guests, with an audience of approximately 60 people who followed the event online and already generated more than 400 views for the recording of the meeting on YouTube. In order to expand knowledge on the subject, the recording of the 4th Cura Meetings is available on the YouTube channel of the Cura Project Institute. To access it, check out the recording below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39D2v-h-waI&t=9s

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