Paolo Marcucci, President and CEO of Kedrion and newly elected Chairman of the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association (PPTA), opened the PPTA Plasma Protein Forum 2013. This is one of the most important events that the world association of manufacturers of plasma-derived medicinal products organises every year to present the main challenges that the industry is called to address.
This year, the Forum, which brings together the industry, patient communities, physicians, health-care professionals, as well as regulators and policymakers, will be particularly focussed on the policies and regulations that have an impact on patients’ access to treatment.
“PPTA has always been an ambitious project – stated Paolo Marcucci– so we have to continue working with the usual determination with all our stakeholders to make treatment accessible to those who need them, wherever they are”. “Our challenge – he explained – is reaching an ever increasing number of patients worldwide, providing them with plasma protein treatment which has been produced to the highest quality and safety standards”.
It has been said that plasma, the raw material which is essential to produce such life saving medicines, has recently reached record-breaking levels but the collection of both “source” and “recovered” plasma has to be increased even further, in order to meet the demand for plasma-derived products.
In addition, Paolo Marcucci also spoke about rare diseases that affect approximately 30 million people in Europe and 25 million in the United States. “We have to take up the challenge of meeting the global needs of those who suffer from rare diseases: on the one hand, the scientific communities may help by providing research capabilities, on the other hand Government bodies will provide safe and effective access for patients to therapies, while Industry will contribute with capital, infrastructures and the management of knowledge”.
Paolo Marcucci ended his speech by announcing that “Kedrion will soon become a member of the plasma fractionators’ community of North America, a milestone in the company’s global growth strategy”
