Optimizing Tobacco Advertising Bans in Seven Latin American Countries: Microsimulation Modeling of Health and Financial Impact to Inform Evidence-Based Policy.

INTRODUCTION: In Latin America, tobacco smoking prevalence is between 6.4% and 35.2%. Governments have been making efforts to support the regulation of advertising and, in many cases, banning advertising and promotion of tobacco altogether. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential impact on health and economic outcomes of optimizing a ban on tobacco advertising and sponsorship in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. METHODS: We built a probabilistic microsimulation model, considering natural history, direct health system costs, and quality of life impairment associated with main tobacco-related diseases. We followed individuals in hypothetical cohorts and calculated health outcomes on an annual basis to obtain aggregated 10-year population health outcomes (deaths, events, healthy years of life) and costs. To populate the model, we performed a rapid review of literature to calculate intervention effectiveness. RESULTS: With current policies, over 10 years, in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia a total of 50,000 deaths and 364,000 disease events will be averted, saving $7.2 billion. If the seven countries strengthened their policies and implemented a comprehensive ban with 100% compliance, 98,000 deaths and 648,000 events would be averted over 10 years, saving almost $15 billion in healthcare costs. CONCLUSIONS: Optimizing a ban on tobacco advertising and sponsorship would substantially reduce deaths, diseases, and health care costs attributed to smoking. Latin American countries should not delay the full implementation of this strategy.

Tobacco advertisement, promotion and sponsorship ban enforcement index at sales points in Panama, 2017.

INTRODUCTION: We assess the tobacco advertisement, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS) ban enforcement in sales points in Panama in 2017. METHODS: A nationwide observational survey to assess TAPS ban enforcement in sales points was conducted and involved retail sale in non-specialized stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating according to the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities Rev. 4. A TAPS ban enforcement index was developed from factorial analysis by principal component with a polychoric correlation matrix to calculate the mean national index value. RESULTS: The national TAPS ban enforcement index value was found to be 3.03. The index value in sales points according to the tobacco products advertisement was 1.98, which was significantly lower where the advertisement was present and 3.09 where it was absent (t=7.57, p<0.05). Each of the three health regions corresponding to Indigenous Territories had an index below the national mean: Emberá-Wounáan (2.52), Guna-Yala (2.65), and Ngäbe-Buglé (2.91). Similar findings were observed among health regions with a west national border: Chiriquí (2.80) and Bocas Del Toro (2.93). On the other hand, the top indices were observed in Panama Metro (3.25), Darién (3.53) and Coclé (3.63). CONCLUSIONS: There is a high level of enforcement of the TAPS ban as a consequence of the full implementation of the FCTC as a law in Panama. However, indigenous territories and west national border areas had the lowest TAPS ban enforcement, making these populations vulnerable. A fertile ground for future research includes the identification of possible vulnerable targets for tobacco products advertisement, particularly in urban areas.

Critical review of current MPS guidelines and management.

Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are a group of lysosomal storage disorders that impair degradation of glycosaminoglycans (GAG). The specific GAGs that accumulate depend on the type of MPS, leading to unique characteristic clinical features. Development of guidelines for treatment of MPS has traditionally been multifaceted and largely based on palliative care. In the last three decades, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and enzyme replacement therapy have been developed based on experimental and clinical studies. Guidelines have been established with the accumulation of the clinical data from natural history of the disease and therapeutic consequences, mainly sponsored by pharmaceutical companies. In recent years, committees in three countries, Australia (2015), Japan (2017), and Brazil (2018) have adopted guidelines for the treatment of MPS II, sponsored and authorized by each government. As novel treatments for MPS including substrate reduction therapy, pharmacological chaperone therapy, and gene therapy become clinically available, it is increasingly necessary to establish the optimal guideline for each type of MPS, considering multiple factors including therapeutic efficacy, adverse effects, age, disease stage, prognosis, feasibility and availability of access to treatment, and cost- performance. In this article, we discuss the historical guidelines for specific MPS types and the most recently adopted guidelines for MPS II and propose the development of future guidelines without conflict of interest and bias leading to mutual benefits to all parties including patients and families, professionals, tax payers, and governments.

Efectos en la intención de compra de pirelli mediante el patrocinio deportivo en el world superbike / Effects on the pirelli`s purchase intention through sports sponsorship at the world superbike / Efeitos na intenção de compra de pirelli mediante o patrocínio esportivo no world superbike

En los últimos años, el patrocinio deportivo se ha convertido en una importante industria mundial, como parte integrada de la estrategia de comunicación dentro del departamento de marketing de las corporaciones. Eventos deportivos como World Superbike (SBK), se conciben como muy atractivos en dicha estrategia de patrocinio. Esta investigación analiza el efecto en la intención de compra de la marca Pirelli, a partir de su estrategia de patrocinio de SBK, mediante la administración de un cuestionario a 140 asistentes a la penúltima prueba del circuito de 2015, celebrada en Jerez (España). Los resultados muestran una intención de compra de un 80% a favor. Se ha encontrado una asociación entre la actitud hacia el evento, y el conocimiento de las marcas patrocinadoras, así como entre la actitud hacia el evento y la actitud frente a Pirelli. Por otro lado, no se han encontrado variables predictoras para la intención de compra.

In recent years, sports sponsorship has become an important global industry, as an integrated part of the communication strategies within the marketing department of corporations. Sports events like World Superbike are conceived as very attractive in this sponsorship strategy. This research analyzes the effect on the purchase intention of the Pirelli brand based its SBK sponsorship strategy; by administering a questionnaire to 140 attendees to the 2015 penultimate circuit test held in Jerez (Spain). The results show a purchase intention of 80% in favor. An association between the attitude towards the event and the knowledge of the sponsoring brands has been found, as well as, between the attitude towards the event and the attitude towards Pirelli. On the other hand, no predictor variables have been found for the purchase intention.

Nos últimos anos o patrocínio esportivo converteu-se em uma importante indústria mundial, como parte integrada da estratégia de comunicação dentro do departamento de marketing das corporações. Eventos esportivos como World Superbike concebem-se como muito atraentes em dita estratégia de patrocínio. Esta investigação analisa o efeito na intenção de compra da marca Pirelli a partir de sua estratégia de patrocínio de SBK, mediante a administração de um questionário a 140 assistentes à penúltima prova do circuito de 2015 celebrada em Jerez (Espanha). Os resultados mostram uma intenção de compra de 80% a favor. Encontrou-se uma associação entre a atitude para o evento e o conhecimento das marcas patrocinadoras, bem como entre a atitude para o evento e a atitude em frente à Pirelli. Por outro lado, não se encontraram variáveis reveladoras para a intenção de compra.

Los que tienen el dinero hacen las reglas: auspicios y resultados en la investigación médica / Those who have the gold make the rules: funding and outcomes in medicines research

Last year, three coauthors and I published a systematic review and meta-analysis showing that the outcome of medicines research of all types is dependent on the source of funding. We showed that when pharmaceutical companies sponsor research it is much more likely to have a positive outcome than when funding comes from other sources. We postulated two possible reasons for our findings: publication bias and the use of inappropriate comparators. Since our article appeared, four similar papers have been published with three of these supporting our findings. The one dissenting paper may have suffered from a Type II error. Other explanations advanced to account for this bias and included a biased interpretation of the overall trial results. As the pharmaceutical industry expands its role in funding medicines research the bias in outcomes threatens the entire scientific endeavour.

El año pasado, tres coautores y yo publicamos una revisión sistemática y un metaanálisis que mostraban que los resultados de la investigación médica de cualquier tipo dependen de la fuente de recursos económicos. Mostramos que cuando las compañías farmacéuticas auspician los trabajos de investigación, éstos son mucho más proclives a tener un resultado positivo que cuando los fondos provienen de otras fuentes. Postulamos dos posibles explicaciones para nuestros hallazgos: sesgo de publicación y el uso de comparaciones inapropiadas. Desde que apareció nuestro artículo se publicaron cuatro estudios similares, de los cuales tres respaldan nuestros hallazgos. El único estudio que disentía con ellos podría haber sufrido un error de tipo II. Otra explicación posible que da cuenta de esta distorsión es una interpretación tendenciosa de los resultados generales de los ensayos. Dado que la industria farmacéutica está expandiendo su papel como auspiciante de las tareas de investigación médica, las distorsiones en los resultados amenazan todo el esfuerzo científico.