Innovate, Collaborate, and Make Medicines Accessible
Michael Altorfer, CEO, Swiss Biotech Association, gives his view on the future of drug development.
What we asked: “Looking ahead to the next 5–10 years, what will be the key disruptors and/or what can be improved upon in the pharma industry?”
Response from: Michael Altorfer, CEO, Swiss Biotech Association
“Four key objectives should be considered by the international community when it comes to further improving the impact of drug development on global healthcare:
- Secure global protection for innovators. If innovations cannot be reliably protected, it will not be possible to finance the development of a broad range of new drugs, new modalities, and new technologies, given the huge costs and high risk associated with such projects. Patent protection and related market exclusivity are key success factors for any nation that seeks to contribute to the innovation of global healthcare. We have tackled the easier challenges first; the ones that lie ahead will be more demanding, even as we benefit from emerging supporting tools such as AI. Furthermore, our ambition to provide ever more effective, personalized medicine will pose further challenges in financing novel treatment options.
- Harness the power of international collaboration. The smartest minds are not located in any particular country; they are spread across the globe. If we research in silos, specifically constrain access to funding, fail to share discoveries, or isolate parts of the global community, we will inevitably be less successful and slow down progress. At the same time, we will limit the number of parties that could share risk, engage, and contribute to joint efforts to improve health.
- Focus on accessibility as much as on efficacy. Developing an innovative drug that is only available to a few may represent a scientific breakthrough and an important first step, but it is not yet a true innovation because its impact and availability are limited. Innovations that reduce the cost of the discovery, development, manufacturing, storage, or distribution of novel medicines could be more significant than the original discovery if they help to secure access for all patients.
- Involve healthy people in research. The more people learn about how they can delay onset or progression of a disease, the better. If healthy people also recognize that providing their healthcare data helps researchers to improve their understanding of how healthy people differ from those with a disease, they will understand that everyone can make an important contribution to scientific progress. By basing research on a rich set of real-world data, we can accelerate the discovery of new tools, and the active involvement of the healthy population can further improve the public's understanding of why pharma R&D is so valuable.”
Read over 100 other views on the future of the pharma industry on our special web page.
