On access to Pegvisomant in Chile

Chile’s Acromegaly support group CORAPEHI focuses on access to Pegvisomant in their struggle to improve access to medication for acromegaly patients in that country.

Since 2010 Acromegaly Chile and CORAPEHI (Corporation to Help Patients with Pituitary Diseases) have focused their effort on educating and informing the public about the drugs, tests, and treatments available. Max Almonacid, principal of CORAPHEI and Acromegaly Chile, has undertaken a significant effort to educate the Chilean public. “Patients are not aware of these conditions and struggle through inconclusive examination that delays a correct diagnosis while their condition worsens,” said Max Almonacid. Unfortunately, delayed diagnoses are all too familiar problems not just in Chile but worldwide.

Thanks to these efforts, Pegvisomant was made available in Chile towards the end of 2020. However, the drug’s high costs make it difficult to distribute to the patients that can be helped. Approximately 30% of acromegaly patients can control their disease by taking Pegvisomant, and for many, this is the only drug that helps, making this effort even more critical. Pegvisomant is an effective therapeutic agent in patients with acromegaly who are not in remission after undergoing pituitary surgery. It mitigates excess GH action, as demonstrated by IGF-1 normalization, but has no direct effects on pituitary tumors causing acromegaly.  Read more here. The group advocates Chilean authorities, private insurance, and state public health assistance organizations to facilitate needed access to this medication.

You can offer your support and learn more through the organization’s Instagram page here.  The education effort includes a series of very informational webinars.

Learn more about pegvisomant (and its commercial name Somavert) in these PWN articles and podcasts.

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