ABM on first fire

The decision to dismiss ABM CEO Radoslaw Sierpinski came as no surprise, as did its consequence, namely the notification to the prosecutor's office of the possibility of committing a crime, i.e. certifying untruths in competition documents. But that's just the tip of things to be clarified - and straightened out. Starting with the proverbial "byzantium" (ABM spends about 8 percent of its budget on its functioning, which puts it in the absolute vanguard of public institutions, for comparison - the National Health Fund for administrative purposes spends ten times less, or 0.8 percent of its budget, and this cannot be explained by the disproportionate resources at its disposal, because disproportionate, of course in favor of the payer, is both the number of employees and the scope of tasks), and substantive decisions on the allocation of public funds for specific research projects. The latter, of course, should not (cannot) be subject to political evaluation - but rather there is no doubt that an audit (preferably external) would at least be warranted. Even if the conclusions were to be difficult.

In doing so, policymakers must answer a basic question: do we want to expand clinical research, and do we want non-commercial research to be a significant (and growing) part of it. If so, ABM can be healed, it can be changed, nay - it can even be abolished as a separate institution (although one would have to act extremely carefully here, because the most obvious merger with NCBiR, due to what has happened in the latter institution in recent years, fulfills the criteria of moving from the rain to the gutter), but - the mission must be continued. And to find money for it outside the National Health Fund. Five years ago, the opposition, rightly, thundered that clinical trials should not deplete the budget allocated to benefits. And it did not accept the explanation that money, spent on clinical trials, goes back to patients - both in the short term (because the care of those who participate in the trials is financed) and in the long term - because the trials verify the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the therapy. This year's Fund's financial plan includes a 460 million zloty allowance for ABM. Even if there is no such money in this year's budget, will we hear a promise of a change in the funding model for clinical trials over the next year? All in all, this is more important than the expected (certain) political pushback.