New Year's Eve Lunch for LIF’s Staff Members

It was also in honour to Roberto Ganin who has retired. Andrea Uboldi (Health Minister) participated in the lunch. 

 

At this time every year, LIF’s staff members have the New Year’s lunch. In this opportunity it was a double celebration because Roberto Ganin (LIF’s General Manager) has retired after 33 years of activity at LIF.

Andrea Uboldi (Health MInister and LIF’s President) and LIF’s Board of Directors participated in the meeting and gave a present to honour Roberto Ganin.

“Thanks for everything, Roberto Ganin.”

Agreement signed between LIF and Sayago Hospital

It is an agreement of “Mutual collaboration and assistance”. LIF will do health controls and monitoring to its employees. Santa Fe’s Health Ministry participated in the signature.

Andrea Uboldi (Santa Fe’s Health Ministry); Fabián Mendoza (Sayago Hospital’s Director); Jorge Stettler and Diego Bruno (LIF’s Directors) signed an agreement of “Mutual collaboration and assistance”.

The main objective will be to do health controls and monitoring on the LIF’s staff members. Production Area’s staff will be the first group of employees to start the controls.

“LIF and Sayago Hospital are neighbours and have had a long history of activities together. Doing these controls by the Public Health Service strengthens both institutions”, expressed Jorge Stettler.

“This is an innovative idea. We want to monitor the health of our workers and prevent possible diseases”, said Andrea Uboldi.

“Through the medical histories we can monitor the health of the workers and take preventive measures to avoid diseases in the future”, said Fabián Mendoza.

LIF visited by COSSPRA’s Authorities and Provincial Health Ministries

Some Health Ministries from different provinces and authorities of COSSPRA* visited LIF. They met with LIF’s Directors and explored the facilities. 

Some Health Ministries, Presidents and referents of public health insurances from different provinces such as: Tierra del Fuego, Chubut, Río Negro, Misiones, Entre Ríos, San Juan, Jujuy, Tucumán and Catamarca participated in this activity.

First, Andrea Uboldi (Santa Fe’s Health Ministry) welcomed the visitors.

Second, they met with LIF’s Board of Directors where they received information about public production of medicines and the different projects in progress.

After that, the group explored the different facilities with a guided tour.

Finally, the visitors, LIF’s Directors and staff members shared a lunch and exchanged their experiences.


*COSSPRA is the Provincial Federation of Social Health Insurance of Argentina.

LIF will Develop Five New Medicines for Healthcare System

It will be through an agreement with the Pharmacy School (UNR*) and LAFEDAR S.A. (from Entre Ríos province). It will require $ 5 million (ARG) as initial investment.  

 

The main objective is to develop and produce five new medicines, such as: Atorvastatin 20 mg, Clarithromycin 500 mg, Losartan 50 mg, Metformin 850 mg (all of them in tablets) and Pediatric Ibuprofen 2% in syrup. At the beginning, these medicines will be delivered in the healthcare system of Santa Fe province.

Biochemistry and Pharmacy School of UNR, LAFEDAR S.A. and LIF will work to develop these medicines through this agreement. As a result of this, in fifteen months LIF will have the know how to produce them in its facilities.

Andrea Uboldi (Santa Fe’s Health Ministry), Jorge Stettler, Carlos Arques, Diego Bruno and Guillermo Cleti (LIF’s Boards of Directors) and Ricardo Guimarey (LAFEDAR S.A. Chief) signed the agreement.

“We celebrated this agreement between public and private institutions through which LIF will obtain the know how and technology to produce five new medicines. Due to this, more people will have a better access to chronic treatments in the healthcare system”, expressed Andrea Uboldi.

“Today, Santa Fe province is buying these five drugs. Through this agreement, LIF will be in perfect conditions to produce the medicines at LIF’s facilities from January 2020. A year and a half after that time, we hope to recover the initial investment of the project”, expressed Guillermo Cleti.

Horacio Coutaz (LIF’s Trustee) and Roberto Ganin (LIF’s General Manager) also participated in the meeting.

About the use of these drugs:

- Atorvastatin oral tablet is used to improve cholesterol levels and decrease your risk for heart attack and stroke.
- Losartan is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension).
- Metformin is used to control high blood sugar. It is used in patients with type 2 diabetes.
- Clarithromycin is used to treat certain bacterial infections, such as pneumonia (a lung infection), bronchitis (infection of the tubes leading to the lungs), and infections of the ears, sinuses, skin, and throat.
- Pediatric Ibuprofen: it is analgesic and antipyretic.

*UNR: Universidad Nacional de Rosario.

Members of IPAS Visited LIF

Two members of this international organization met with Directors and explored the facilities.

LIF’s Directors Jorge Stettler, Guillermo Cleti and Carlos Arques received Karen Padilla (Program Manager for IPAS Latin America) and Guillermo Ortíz (IPAS Advisor Physician).

They had a meeting where Leonardo Martínez (Subsecretary of Territorial Management of 1st and 2nd Level of Santa Fe´s Healthcare), Members of the Human Rights Secretary, CEMAFE*, Horacio Coutaz (LIF’s Trustee) and Roberto Ganin (LIF’s General Manager) also participated.

IPAS is an international organization focused on expanding access to safe abortion and contraceptive care, and to ending unsafe abortion.

“We are an international organization and work to promote the protection and respect the sexual and reproductive health as well as the women’s reproductive rights. We have a collaborative agreement with Santa Fe province to help and to give technical assistance to improve the abortion comprehensive care”, expressed Karen Padilla.

After meeting, the visitors could explore the different facilities.

*CEMAFE: Centro Médico Ambulatorio de Santa Fe (Outpatient Medical Center of Santa Fe)

LIF’s Directors Met with Ph.D. Dohyeong Kim from University of Texas in Dallas

He is a well-known researcher from Korea. Today, he works at the University of Texas. He met with Directors and explored the facilities.

 

LIF’s Board of Directors: Carlos Arques, Diego Bruno, Jorge Stettler and Guillermo Cleti; Horacio Coutaz, Trustee, and Roberto Ganin, General Manager welcomed Dohyeong Kim and had a meeting where they exchanged information about the public production of medicines, as well as the different researches that Kim has been making.

Dohyeong Kim specializes in administration, planning and public politics. He is Associate Professor at the University of Texas in Dallas. He has a Master´s degree in Public Administration and Planing, and a Doctorate in Urban Planning and Health Politics by the University of North Carolina.

After meeting, the visitor explored the facilities together with Roberto Ganin.

LIF Has Started to Provide Opioids to the National Government Again

Methadone and morphine for different hospitals around Argentina. Palliative care and public production of medicines: two firm state policies in Santa Fe province.

LIF provided a first amount of opioids to the National Government through an agreement with Instituto Nacional de Cáncer* (INC).

INC will distribute these medicines around the country in different hospitals with palliative care service.

Methadone 5 mg (150.000 tablets) and morphine 10 mg (1.150.000 tablets) were the amounts delivered by LIF. Before the end of the year, LIF must provide a similar quantity of these two drugs to complete the agreement.

It is important to highlight that this LIF’s production has a price between 30% and 50% of the cheaper one of the pharmaceutical market, and due to this, Santa Fe province contributes through this firm state policy to the national policies for fighting cancer.

The Banco Nacional de Drogas Oncológicas is the place where INC storages the medicines. Then, from there the drugs will be delivered to the different hospitals around the country.

This is the second stage of the Pilot Program to provide drugs for pain treatment in patients with active, progressive and advanced diseases.

The first stage was between 2014 and 2016. In that moment, LIF provided directly more than one million tablets (methadone and morphine) in different hospitals in Argentina.

*Instituto Nacional de Cáncer (INC): National Institute of Cancer.

LIF Is Already Providing Medicines for TB Treatments

Medicines for tuberculosis (TB) treatments were developed and produced in the new LIF’s area. Santa Fe is pioneer in this field and could solve the lack of medicines through their public production.

 
 
Few months after the inauguration of the new developed and production area, LIF has started producing medicines for tuberculosis (TB) treatments.

In the last two months, LIF has provided Santa Fe’s healthcare public system with 90.000 tablets of three drugs such as: Isoniazid 100 mg, Isoniazid 300 mg and Ethambutol 400 mg.

TB drugs are often provided by the National Health Ministry, but this activity was discontinued in the last months due to different issues in the last tender.

Santa Fe province could guarantee the access to the medicines for the patients through their public production.

“Today, LIF’s TB drugs production is a solution for Santa Fe province, but we will reach the national approval by ANMAT* and therefore we could have these drugs available for other provinces”, expressed Guillermo Cleti.

Rifampicin + Isoniazid (double combined tablet) and Rifampicin + Isoniazid + Pyrazinamide (triple combined tablet) are being processed by the typical stability studies. In view of this, the combined tablets will probably be available in the next year.

TB drugs production is an important progress for LIF, as well as an example of why it is necessary that the State has a tool like public production, and consequently gives a solution for the population so that they can access medicines.

*ANMAT: Administración Nacional de Medicamentos, Alimentos y Tecnología Médica. (National Regulatory Agency for medicines, food and medical devices).

Students of “Antonia María Verna" School Visited LIF

More than 100 students visited LIF. They received information about public production of medicines and explored the facilities.
During June, 101 students of 5th year of the “Antonia María Verna" school attended LIF. They received information about public production of medicines, quality control, financing and human resources management through different lectures.

 

This school has three different specialisations, such as: economy, natural sciences and human studies. After the lectures, they went around LIF’s facilities.

Health Staff Members from Reconquista Nodo Visited LIF

Health professionals and staff members of administration areas from different cities and towns of Reconquista Nodo participated in this activity, which included a lecture and a tour on the facilities.

Hospital directors, physicians, pharmacists, nurses and administrative employees arrived at LIF with the objective of knowing about public production of medicine, as well as exploring the different LIF’s areas.

Luciana Ramoa (Reconquista Nodo’s director) and Daniela Sponton (Coordinator of Medicines of Reconquista Nodo) led the delegation.

Intiyaco, Tartagal, Vera, Romang, Las Tostas, Florencia, Reconquista, Villa Ocampo, Avellaneda and Arrollo Ceibal were the places from where they arrived.

First, LIF’s Board of Directors welcomed the visitors and then LIF’s Communication Area led the different activities.

“We promote an important politics through which we want to open LIF to the community and everyone can know how LIF produces and controls its medicines”, expressed Guillermo Cleti (LIF’s Director)

Reconquista Nodo (Region No. 1)

The Region No. 1 has its Nodo in Reconquista city. It is located in the Northeast of Santa Fe province. It limits with Chaco province (North); with Corrientes province (East); with Region No. 2 (West) and with Region No. 3 (South).

The Region includes the departments: General Obligado, San Javier and Vera.

Former Deputy Ricardo Dorato Visited LIF

Ricardo Dorato was the author of an essential law to start to organize LIF. Thirty years after its enforcement, he explored the facilities and met with directors.

In 1987, Ricardo Dorato was a provincial Deputy who presented a law project in the Lower House of Provincial Congress. This project proposed to create the Laboratorio Productor de Fármacos Medicinales (LPFM) into the zone of influence of the Health Ministry.

While it is true that LIF has existed and operated since 1947, its activity hasn’t satisfied the Health Ministry’s demands.

Public institutions like LIF had been abandoned until 1983 after seven years (1976 - 1983) of military dictatorship where a lot state’s capacities were reduced to the minimum. Due to this, private production of consumer goods and services for the population were the main objectives.

The new law (Dorato’s law) gave the legal framework to improve LIF’s capacities and to promote more medicines production after the restoration of the democracy.

Producing medicines to provide to hospitals, with a low cost, without intermediaries and marketing were the main objectives in the Law N° 10.069, as well as the incorporation of more technology to increase LIF’s production volume and guarantee the quality of its medicines.

LIF’s Board of Directors: Diego Bruno, Jorge Stettler, Guillermo Cleti and Carlos Arques; Horacio Coutaz (Trustee) and Roberto Ganin (General Manager) received Ricardo Dorato and his son Sandro.

First, the visitors met with LIF’s Board of Directors and then they explored LIF’s facilities.

Medicines Public Tender at LIF

A new medicines procurement bidding took place at LIF for three days. More than 90 drugs were required.

 

     On May 4th, 7th and 8th the medicines procurement tender took place at LIF. These medicines will be delivered in healthcare institutions of Santa Fe province.
     Hormone injections, tablets, insulins, different injectable drugs, liquid oral administration medicines and creams were the different dosage forms.
     The initial budget for this tender was $ 87.985.459,66.- (ARG) to purchase 95 different drugs.
     This activity was led by DIF’s staff members.
     DIF (Droguería Industrial Farmacéutica) is a LIF’s area to purchase medicines and where the Health Ministry of Santa Fe also participated through the “Red de Medicamentos y Tecnología Farmacéutica” and “Secretaría de Administración”.
     The main objective of this activity is optimize the drug procurement system, as well as the expenditure control, neutralise the price dispersion and improve through the scale economy.

Members from Different Organizations of Cañada de Gómez City Visited LIF

They explored the facilities and received information about public productions of medicines.

 

     Members from different social organizations, political parties, communes, and civil servants from health, education and disability participated in this meeting.
     Members of the LIF's Communication Area welcomed the visitors and then they watched the LIF’s institutional video.
     Afterwards, the visitors received a lecture about public production of medicines and the different projects that LIF has been developing in the last years.
     Subsequently, the visitors made a guided tour in the different facilities led by LIF’s staff members.
     Finally, the group, LIF’s Directors and staff members shared a lunch and exchanged their experiences.

Staff Members of Sayago Hospital Visited LIF

A group of Sayago Hospital’s staff members explored the different facilities and received a lecture about public production of medicines.  

 

     Physicians, nurses, secretaries, technicians and psychologists from Sayago Hospital participated in this activity.
     First, LIF’s Directors welcomed the visitors and then they watched the LIF’s institutional video.
     Second, LIF’s Communication Area members gave information about the different activities that LIF has been making in the last years.
     Subsequently, the visitors made a guided tour in the different facilities led by LIF’s staff members.

LIF Participated in the Fair for Municipalities and Communes

The activity took place in different days and each provincial node. Authorities of municipalities and communes attended. Lectures and showrooms were the activities organized.



     The activity called "Municipios y Comunas en red, capacitación para autoridades locales más feria de proyectos" and it had different lectures in each provincial node.
     Authorities of different municipalities and communes around the province attended the meetings.
     LIF had its participation in a stand where LIF’s staff gave merchandising and information.
     LIF and ASSAL* were the two Health Ministry’s Institutions that participated in the event.
     Rosario, Santa Fe, Rafaela, Wheelright (Venado Tuerto node) and Reconquista were the cities where the different meetings occurred.

* ASSAL: Agencia Santafesina de Seguridad Alimentaria - Santafesina Food Safety Agency

Opening Ceremony for a New Development Area

Miguel Lifschitz, Santa Fe’s Governor, participated in the ceremony. The project demanded an investment of $45 million (ARG).

This new area will allow to develop and produce medicines to treat patients with tuberculosis. Consequently, LIF might be a possible public producer of these medicines for Argentina.

     Rifampicin + Isoniazid + Pyrazinamide (triple association); Rifampicin + Isoniazid (double association); Isoniazid 100 mg / 300 mg and Ethambutol 400 mg are the medicines to develop and produce.
     This new leading facility will also allow to increase the LIF’s production capacity by 50%.
     For this project, the Provincial Government invested $25 million (ARG) and the National Government contributed with $20 million (ARG).
     Miguel LIfschitz (Santa Fe’s Governor); Andrea Uboldi (Santa Fe’s Health Minister); Miguel González (Provincial Senator), Hermes Binner (Santa Fe’s ex Governor); the Ministers: Pedro Morini (Public Works); Julio Genesini (Labor); Claudia Balagué (Education); Jacinto Speranza (Environment); Verónica Geese (Energy State Secretary); LIF’s Board of Directors: Diego Bruno, Jorge Stettler, Guillermo Cleti and Carlos Arques.
     “It is important to have the medicines for all people. That includes the medicines for common diseases as well as rare diseases. For that, we support the public production of medicines like a firm state policy”, expressed Miguel Lifschitz.
     Juan Carlos Zabalza (Cabinet Coordinator); the Provincial Deputies: Clara García, Julio Garibaldi and Jorge Henn; Emilio Jatón (Santa Fe’s city Councilman; Leonardo Caruana (Rosario’s Health Secretary); Pablo Saccone (State Prosecutor) and Adrián Bonivardi (Dean of Faculty of Chemical Engineering - UNL) also participated in the ceremony.

Meeting of Health Extended Cabinet at LIF

Members of the cabinet from different places of the province participated in this meeting. Health Minister Andrea Uboldi led the activity. There was a guided tour on the facilities.

     The activity was organized and led by Santa Fe’s province Health Minister Andrea Uboldi. It took place at the LIF’s multiple use room.
     Members of the Health Cabinet; Health Coordinators of each node; Sub Region Coordinators; Directors of different hospitals (2nd and 3rd level); LIF’s Boards of Directors and Managers participated in the meeting.
     The agenda included specific topics about LIF such as: delivery of medicines for the Public Health System of Santa Fe and National Government; development progress and production of medicines to treat patients with tuberculosis; delivery of opioids; and development of new medicines. These topics were presented by LIF’s Board of Directors.
     They also talked and analysed different problems linked with the use of medicines around the province.
     All the attendees had the possibility to explored the LIF’s facilities through a guided tour. 

 

Meeting between LIF and Hemoderivados Lab

Business meeting to strengthen the activities between both institutions. The visitors explored the new research area.

 

     Jorge Sttetler and Guillermo Cleti ( LIF’s Directors), and Horacio Coutaz (Trustee) received Pascual Fidelio (Director of LH-UNC*) and Maximiliano Flynn (Marketing Manager of LH-UNC).
     During the meeting, the attendants analyzed a list of different medicines which the Santa Fe’s Health Ministry frequently buys by public tender. Some of these might be produced through an associated work between LIF and LH-UNC.
     “The main idea is to use the capacities and specialization of both laboratories. Today, LIF produces powder and tablets. On the other hand, LH-UNC is specialized in low volume injectable drugs. We have talked about them complementing us,” expressed Guillermo Cleti.
     “We are here with the specific intention to continue linking both institutions, more and better. The exchange of experiences, the joint projects and the production of more medicines to improve the health and quality of life of people are our shared goals,” said Pascual Fidelio.
     “In Argentina, along with the history of the public production of medicines, the laboratories have never competed. We have always encouraged learning and working together. The availability and accessibility of safe and quality medicines are the objectives,” said Jorge Stettler.
     After meeting, the new research area was showed to the visitors. Cecilia Selis (LIF’s Technical Director) led the group through the facilities.

*LH-UNC: Laboratorio de Hemoderivados - Universidad Nacional de Córdoba

National Health Ministry’s Tender: LIF offered the best prices in two medicines

International Public Tender No 80-0027-LPU17 of National Health Ministry (NHM).

     

     Enalapril 10 mg (7.256.970 tablets) and Cephalexin 500 mg (4.430.608 tablets) were the medicines with which LIF offered the best prices.
     Meanwhile, LIF’s Metformin (tablets) was the second best price on the offer.
     LIF competed in this international public tender with more than 20 participating laboratories.
     Since 2008, LIF has been a responsible, efficient and serious supplier of the NHM.
     Quality and prices near prime cost are its more important strength, together with the medicines as a common good.