PharmaBoardroom Releases 'Healthcare and Life Sciences Review Baltics 2018'

LONDON, April 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

PharmaBoardroom today releases its new 79-page Healthcare & Life Sciences Review Baltics 2018.

While Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have a lot in common - small, high-income economies and Eurozone members situated on the Eastern coast of the Baltic Sea - it would be inadvisable to consider the Baltic states as one homogenous block. Lithuania, for example, shares many similarities with neighboring Poland; Latvia takes its cultural cues from Russia; while Estonia exudes Scandinavian characteristics due to its proximity to Finland.

In healthcare and the life sciences too, the Baltic states differ greatly. Lithuania, the largest market of the three, has a historic expertise in laser technology which is contributing to a thriving homegrown biotechnology industry. Latvia, on the other hand, boasts a strong industrial base and sees increasing numbers of medical tourists each year, although its government is working to reform what is a stretched public healthcare system. Estonia, the smallest of the three nations by population, has bet big on the digital revolution, with all public healthcare records now stored using blockchain technology and a number of innovative start-ups in the digital health space.

This report explores the peculiarities of these small but promising markets, as well as the ways in which actors from across the Baltics are working together on issues such as regulatory harmonization for medicine approvals and innovation clustering to propel the region's industry forwards.

Interviews 

The report features in-depth interviews with:

• Kristina Garuoliene, vice minister of health, Lithuania
• Gintautas Barcys, State Medicines Control Agency (SMCA), Lithuania
• Eugenija Sutkiene, TGS Baltic
• Mariua Giedraitis, Balux
• Anda Caksa, minister of health, Latvia
• Svens Henkuzens, State Agency of Medicines in Latvia (ZVA)
• Evija Buksa, Merck
• Janis Meiksans, Teva
• Rauls Velins, Roche
• Kristine Juckovica, Rigvir Holdings
• Ain Aaviksoo, ex-deputy secretary general for e-services and innovation, Ministry of Social Affairs, Estonia
• Andres Mannik, Icosagen

Quotes 

"In the future, everyone will talk about Lithuania as a country with a bio-economy, just as Switzerland is the country of the best quality watches and banks" - Prof. Vladas Bumelis, BiotechPharma  

"Since 2016 we have focused on overhauling the entire healthcare system with a view to prioritizing patient needs and enhancing the accessibility of healthcare services and reimbursable medicines" - Anda Caksa, Minister of Health, Latvia  

"The Estonian e-health solution is quite unique in the world as it can be used not only by all healthcare professionals and patients, but its users also have the option of granting others access to their e-health data." - Riho Tapfer, APME, Estonia  

Click here to register and download the report.