BackgroundHuntington’s disease (HD) is a devastating and fatal neurodegenerative disorder that leads to progressive disability, and over time to total dependence. The economic impact of HD on patients living in developing countries like Peru is still unknown. This study aims to estimate the economic burden by estimating direct and indirect costs of Huntington’s disease in Peru, as well as the proportion of direct costs borne by patients and their families.MethodsDisease-cost cross-sectional study where 97 participants and their primary caregivers were interviewed using a common questionnaire. Prevalence and human capital approaches were used to estimate direct and indirect costs, respectively.ResultsThe average annual cost of HD reached USD 8120 per patient in 2015. Direct non-healthcare costs represented 78.3% of total cost, indirect costs 14.4% and direct healthcare costs the remaining 7.3%. The mean cost of HD increased with the degree of patient dependency: from USD 6572 for Barthel 4 & 5 (slight dependency and total independency, respectively) to USD 23,251 for Barthel 1 (total dependency). Direct costs were primarily financed by patients and their families.ConclusionsThe estimated annual cost of HD for Peruvian society reached USD 1.2 million in 2015. The cost impact of HD on patients and their families is very high, becoming catastrophic for most dependent patients, and thus making it essential to prioritize full coverage by the State.

Neurogenetics, the science that studies the genetic basis of the development and function of the nervous system, is a discipline of recent development in Peru, an emerging Latin American country. Herein, we review the clinical, scientific and ethical aspects regarding the development of this discipline, starting with the first molecular diagnosis of neurogenetic diseases, to family and population-based genetic association studies. Neurogenetics in Peru aims to better explain the epidemiology of monogenic and complex neurodegenerative disorders that will help in implementing public health policies for these disorders. The characterization of Peru and its health system, legal issues regarding rare diseases and the historical milestones in neurogenetics are also discussed.Keywords Bioethics . Neurogenetics . Peru . Public policies Neurogenetics in Latin AmericaNeurogenetics studies the genetic basis of the nervous system, exploring its function and development for a better understanding of neurological disorders (Trelles and De los Angeles 1989; Vaillant 2000). Roughly, 80 % of the transcriptome is expressed in the human brain (Hawrylycz et al. 2012), where resident cell types show specific neuroanatomical distributions and molecular signatures that can be associated with neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders (Lotan et al. 2014;Miller et al. 2010). The development of novel genomic technologies, large-scale genome databases and global collaborations have revolutionized our understanding of the molecular basis and diagnostic and therapeutical approaches in many neurological disorders, especially within highly polygenic disorders (McCarroll et al. 2014).

RESUMENLa neurogenética es una disciplina emergente en el Perú que vincula la investigación básica con la práctica clínica. El Centro de Investigación Básica en Neurogenética, es el único centro en el Perú dedicado a la atención especializada de enfermedades neurogenéticas. La investigación en esta área está estrechamente ligada a la enfermedad de Huntington, desde la genotipificación del gen HTT por PCR, hasta los actuales estudios de haplogrupos en esta enfermedad. La investigación en otras enfermedades monogénicas permitió la implementación de metodologías alternativas para la genotipificación del síndrome X frágil y distrofia miotónica tipo 1. Esfuerzos colaborativos nacionales e internacionales han permitido conocer nuevas variantes genéticas en enfermedades complejas, como la enfermedad de Parkinson y Alzheimer. El entrenamiento multidisciplinario y la mentoría fomentan la formación de nuevos especialistas en neurogenética, permitiendo el crecimiento sostenido de esta disciplina en el país. El impulso de la investigación en el Perú ha impulsado el crecimiento de la investigación en neurogenética; sin embargo, las limitaciones en infraestructura, tecnología y capacitación aún son un reto para el crecimiento de investigación en esta disciplina. Palabras clave: Investigación traslacional; Neurología; Genética (fuente: DeCS BIREME). NEUROGENETICS IN PERU, EXAMPLE OF TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH ABSTRACTNeurogenetics is an emerging discipline in Peru that links basic research with clinical practice. The Neurogenetics Research Center located in Lima, Peru is the only unit dedicated to the specialized care of neurogenetic diseases in the country. From the beginning, neurogenetics research has been closely linked to the study of Huntington's Disease (HD), from the PCR genotyping of the HTT gene, to the current haplogroup studies in HD. Research in other monogenic diseases led to the implementation of alternative methodologies for the genotyping of Fragile X and Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1. Both, national and international collaborative efforts have facilitated the discovery of new genetic variants in complex multigenic diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Additionally, multidisciplinary education and mentoring have allowed for the training of new neurogenetics specialists, supporting the sustained growth of the discipline in the country. The promotion of research in Peru has spurred the growth of neurogenetics research, although limitations in infrastructure, technology, and education remain a challenge for the further growth of research in this field.

La regulación de los ensayos clínicos por el Estado es un proceso en constante cambio y adecuación, cuyo reto actual consiste en salvaguardar la seguridad de los participantes y equilibrar la carga administrativa. El desarrollo y la regulación de los ensayos clínicos en los distintos países varían según la realidad, el contexto, su ejecución nacional o multinacional, condicionando que la regulación puramente nacional resulte insuficiente y se precise conocer parte de la regulación internacional. El objetivo de esta publicación es mostrar una visión global del rol de Estado en la regulación de los ensayos clínicos en distintas realidades. Para ello, se ha realizado una revisión de