02/27/2026  |  Marco Meglio  |  Neurology Live

https://www.neurologylive.com/view/from-trial-design-institutional-policy-advancing-equity-brain-tumor-care 

In honor of Black History Month, neurologist Na Tosha Gatson, MD, PhD, reflects on structural inequities in neuro-oncology and advancing equity through mentorship, trial design, and institutional policy.

Brain tumor outcomes vary across racial and socioeconomic groups, reflecting long-standing inequities in access to specialty care, clinical trials, and advanced diagnostics. As neuro-oncology continues to advance through biomarker discovery and precision medicine, equity in access and representation remains a central challenge.

During Black History Month, leaders across neuroscience reflect not only on representation in medicine, but also on the structural systems that shape patient outcomes. Na Tosha Gatson, MD, PhD, FAAN, Tenured Professor at Indiana University School of Medicine and Director of The Center for Neuro-Oncology, has built her career at the intersection of clinical excellence, research innovation, and equity-focused leadership.

In this conversation with NeurologyLive, Gatson discusses the structural drivers that influence neuro-oncology outcomes, how mentorship can shape the next generation of neurologists, and why embedding equity principles into clinical trial design and institutional policy is essential for lasting change.

Brain tumor outcomes vary across racial groups. In the context of Black History Month, what historical or structural factors do you think clinicians often overlook in neuro-oncology care?
Na Tosha Gatson, MD, PhD, FAAN: Clinicians frequently overlook the deep-rooted impact of structural racism, socioeconomic disparities, and historical mistrust in healthcare…

02/24/2026  |  Gareth Macdonald  |  BioXconomy

https://www.bioxconomy.com/clinical-and-research/china-leads-global-drug-rd-with-faster-trials-analysis-says 

McKinsey analysis reveals China’s clinical trial recruitment runs two to five times faster than US and EU benchmarks in development.

China leading R&D race thanks to trials talent and CRO ecosystem

China is outpacing Europe and the US in drug R&D, according to McKinsey & Co, which suggests the country’s “dense CRO ecosystem,” well-resourced sites, supportive regulations, and clinical talent pool are key drivers.

The consulting group shared its take in a recent analysis, arguing that China is becoming a global drug research hub due to the speed at which such work gets carried out in the country.

“Early discovery-to-IND [Investigational New Drug] cycles are 50% to 70%faster than the rest of the world due to parallelized workflows, dense CRO ecosystems, and a culture of executional intensity,” the authors wrote.

In terms of clinical trials, they cited recruitment speed—particularly in later stage studies—and the country’s high study completion rate as the key dynamics.

“In late development, trial recruitment often runs two to five times faster than US and EU benchmarks, thanks to large and concentrated patient pools, well-resourced sites, and maturing clinical capabilities.

“China’s trial execution is also a differentiator—its share of global clinical trials reached 39 percent in 2023, with patient recruitment and development timelines outpacing benchmarks in the US and EU,” they wrote.

The McKinsey team also highlighted the role Chinese investigators are playing in drug development as evidence…

02/27/2026  |  Beth Koike   |  Vlor International

https://valorinternational.globo.com/google/amp/business/news/2026/02/27/santas-casas-join-forces-in-clinical-research.ghtml 

Project led by Dr. Nelson Teich attracts pharmaceutical companies in newly regulated clinical research market

Four months after the regulation of clinical research in Brazil, Santas Casas and public philanthropic hospitals are joining forces to conduct scientific studies on new treatments. The country has 1,800 such healthcare institutions, which together account for 62% of high-complexity surgeries and 50% of medium-complexity procedures performed in the public health system.

Under a moderate scenario with gradual adoption of the new legislation, revenue from clinical research at Santas Casas and philanthropic hospitals is expected to nearly double within four years. In 2026, estimates range from R$1.8 billion to R$2.25 billion, rising to between R$3.8 billion and R$4.7 billion by 2030, according to consultancy Ekantika.

The project is led by oncologist Nelson Teich, who served as Health minister in 2020, in partnership with Ekantika, which is using its data and artificial intelligence platform for analysis.

“It is a way for Santas Casas to receive an injection of new funding amid longstanding difficulties with public transfers. These philanthropic institutions are known for high-complexity care,” Teich said.

A joint effort among Santas Casas is particularly valuable for clinical research because these hospitals treat patients from across the country, which has the world’s greatest genetic diversity, and handle more complex medical cases, which are of interest to the pharmaceutical industry. Drugmakers sponsor between 78% and 86% of clinical trials…

02/26/2026 | Matheus De Lucca | Xataca Brasil

https://www.xataka.com.br/ciencia/dia-historico-para-a-saude-publica-brasileira-mundo-inteiro-tentou-a-vacina-definitiva-e-dose-unica-a-dengue-e-100-nossa-e-ja-esta-rodando-ai 

Eliminating breeding grounds for the Aedes aegypti mosquito remains the main front in the fight against dengue; the vaccine is an innovative technology that complements vector control, not a substitute.

The Ministry of Health took a historic step in the fight against dengue by initiating, in January 2026, a pilot vaccination strategy with Butantan-DV. Unlike all previous solutions, this vaccine is 100% Brazilian and a world first, requiring only one dose to guarantee protection.

But how does Brazil plan to move from laboratories to immunize a population of continental dimensions? The answer involves laboratory cities, cutting-edge biotechnology, and strategic Asian cooperation.

Where science meets the street
Instead of a widespread distribution, the government opted to apply the vaccine in "pilot municipalities" with populations between 100,000 and 200,000 inhabitants and well-structured health networks.

Vaccination began on January 17th in the cities of Maranguape (CE) and Nova Lima (MG). On January 18th, the municipality of Botucatu (SP) also joined the initiative. It is worth remembering that Botucatu already has prior experience, having adopted a similar methodology in evaluating the effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccine.

The initial target audience focuses on people aged 15 to 59 years. The main objective of this phase is to evaluate the impact of the vaccine on the actual dynamics of disease transmission and to gather the necessary evidence to support…

02/26/2026 | Ministry of Health

https://www.gov.br/saude/pt-br/assuntos/noticias/2026/fevereiro/ministerio-da-saude-inclui-exame-de-alta-tecnologia-no-sus-para-doencas-raras-espera-das-familias-por-diagnostico-reduz-de-7-anos-para-seis-meses 

Complete Exome Sequencing will be available in the public network with the capacity to meet 100% of the demand. In the private network, the cost is up to R$ 5,000 per patient.

The Ministry of Health announced, this Thursday (26), the beginning of the offer in the SUS (Brazilian Public Health System) of an innovative, high-technology genetic test for the confirmation of the diagnosis of rare genetic diseases. This refers to Whole Exome Sequencing (WES), which will address 90% of cases in Brazil requiring timely test results. This is one of the main bottlenecks faced by families, who will receive results in up to six months (previously seven years). This represents a 93% reduction in waiting time.

During the week of World and National Rare Disease Day, celebrated on February 28th, the Ministry also announced an investment of R$ 26 million/year to expand the availability of the test throughout the country. In the private sector, Whole Exome Sequencing can cost up to R$ 5,000. In the public sector, it will be free. Currently, approximately 13 million Brazilians have one of the 7,000 cataloged rare diseases, with more than 70% of genetic origin.

“When the SUS (Brazilian Public Health System) starts offering complete genetic sequencing, an exam that can cost up to R$ 5,000, we are breaking a historical barrier to access. This will reduce the diagnosis time, which today can take up to seven years, to a few months, completely changing the quality of life…