Improving the Pharma Industry

Understanding women

Sabrina Martucci, President, CEO, and a member of the board at Daré Bioscience

“We need to do a better job as an industry of including women in clinical studies and understanding how diseases (and treatments) manifest differently in women versus in men. Doing so will improve the standard of care for everyone.”

Improving engagement

Claire Thompson, CEO Life Agility Sciences

“Use less jargon. As scientists, we are taught to use very technical language and to talk about the features of what we do, rather than the benefits. None of this is very engaging to non-technical people, particularly the public and young people. During the pandemic, the eyes of the world were on the industry. Suddenly, people were interested in what we do and how we do it. We shouldn’t let this crisis go to waste. We should use it as an opportunity to engage with patients, the public, and budding young scientists to help them understand how we make medicines, why it takes a long time, and why it costs so much – but also just how valuable and impactful it is to work in the industry. To do this, we must get rid of the technical jargon and make our messaging meaningful and memorable. The future of the industry depends on our inspiring the next generation.”

Being patient-centric

Edward Haeggström, Chief Executive Officer at Nanoform

“The shift toward a more patient-centric approach in the design of new drugs is something that has been gaining momentum – and that I am keen to see more of in the pharma industry. It is my belief that it is not only patients who stand to gain from therapies more tailored to their needs, but also a chance for pharma to grow from both a commercial and humanitarian standpoint. Wider adoption of patient-centric practices and incorporation of patients’ feedback from the early stages of drug discovery through to development has the potential to revolutionize patients’ quality of life. In today’s ever more technologically advanced world, it is easier than ever to achieve.”

Getting away from cost

Rebecca Guntern, Head of Europe, Sandoz

“The value of the generics and biosimilar industry to patients and society is often lost in the public debate surrounding medicine prices. Policymakers must actively pursue a social agenda that recognizes the full role and value of off-patent medicines. This requires a shift in perception away from cost to contribution and value to societies and healthcare systems. To maximize generic and biosimilar medicines’ contribution to the affordability and sustainability of healthcare systems, the off-patent medicines industry must operate within a sustainable, competitive, and efficient market model. As countries look ahead to the consequences of aging populations, increased chronic disease, and a surge in innovative treatment options, maintaining and enhancing generic and biosimilar medicines’ contribution is essential. For healthcare systems to be sustained, the off-patent medicines industry itself must be sustained. I believe this is a unique opportunity to unite all concerned around the basic principle that ensuring sustainable healthcare is an investment, not a cost.”

Equity and transparency

Gurutz Linazasoro, CEO, VIVEbiotech

“Since the sequencing of the human genome, medicine has entered a predictive, preventive, precise, and personalized era. This is a great advance because many diseases can be diagnosed in very early – even preclinical – stages and treated successfully with extremely efficacious therapies. However, the costs of these kinds of approaches are extremely high and many patients, including those living in countries where health systems are free and universal, cannot afford them. Regarding transparency, we are living in the Internet era with quick access to information related to any given therapy. Unfortunately, this information is not always clear.”