Patient-centric approaches to marketing
Aldona Armstrong provides insights into patient advocacy initiatives, working with key opinion leaders, and how she sees the future of the life sciences industry. (900 words, 4.5 minutes)
In a bid to revolutionize patient care, UCB is redefining the very lexicon of the pharmaceutical industry. "We don’t have what we call business units. We have patient value units, and I think the nomenclature is important," said Aldona Armstrong, Commercial Solutions Lead, Immunology, in a recent episode of the NPC Podcast. Armstrong emphasized that every decision at UCB hinges on a single, pivotal question: What's best for the patient? This patient-centric philosophy, she insists, is more than corporate rhetoric; it is a guiding principle that shapes every facet of UCB’s operations, from research and development to commercial strategy.
Armstrong [pictured below] said she is proud of several patient advocacy initiatives she’s participated in during her time with UCB. She referenced her work on an initiative called “Baring It All,” a collaboration between the company and the Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance, the Canadian Association of Psoriasis Patients, the Canadians Spondylitis Association, the Canadian Psoriasis Network that focused on women’s sexual and reproductive health.
In 2021, UCB launched the Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Survey, asking women living with arthritis, psoriasis, and related conditions about their experiences with contraception, family planning, sexual health, parenting, menopause, and more.
“Almost 450 patients responded, and the analysis of their responses was used to make recommendations across many areas,” Armstrong said. These responses were essential to her because a gender-based analysis is necessary to ensure patients have access to the proper treatment options.
“Payors need to consider pharmaceutical policies through a sex and gender lens, and researchers should also consider this lens when looking at access to care, access to medication safety,” she said. “That way, when you look through those lenses, you get the best evidence to inform decision-making.”
Armstrong said working with key opinion leaders in different medical specialties can be interesting since she thinks different specialties attract different personalities. After spending a significant time working with neurologists, she now works with dermatologists. “What I like about dermatologists is that they’re straightforward in what they want from pharma or their career,” she said. “They are clear about how they see things going forward and how they want to be engaged. They’re not shy, and I love that.”
Armstrong is realistic but optimistic about the future of the life sciences industry. She believes the Covid-19 pandemic exposed significant cracks in the system that companies are now aiming to fix. She predicts there will be many missteps before getting it right because much needs to be changed. “I think we have to be patient and know that we’re going to be taking a couple of steps forward and a couple of steps back as we try to move into a future where healthcare and medications are more accessible,” she said.
THIS WEEK 06/18/24
Novo Nordisk announced that Canada will be the first country worldwide to launch the insulin icodec injection (Awiqli), which will be available nationwide starting June 30, 2024. Awiqli is a once-weekly basal insulin indicated for the treatment of adults with diabetes mellitus to improve glycemic control.
The U.S. FDA granted accelerated approval to Ipsen’s elafibranor (Iqirvo) for the treatment of primary biliary cholangitis in combination with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in adults who have an inadequate response to UDCA or as monotherapy in patients unable to tolerate UDCA.
The U.S. FDA approved AstraZeneca’s durvalumab (Imfinzi) in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel as a treatment for adult patients with primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer.
Merz Therapeutics’ incobotulinumtoxinA (Xeomin) received approval in Switzerland for the treatment of focal spasticity of the lower limb.
LISTEN UP
In season 12 of the NPC Podcast, Brian Bloom, CEO of Bloom Burton & Co., gives insights into changes in the Canadian Healthcare investment landscape, the return of the generalist investor, and the rise of consumer empowerment in healthcare. Hear him in conversation with podcast hosts Mitch Shannon, Jim Shea, and Mark McElwain.
HEALTHBIZ REWIND
This feature of NPC Healthbiz Weekly looks back at some of the most insightful moments from previous NPC Podcast episodes. In Healthbiz Rewind, you’ll read bold life sci predictions made during the renowned “Prognostication Korner” segment of the NPC Podcast.
Sheryl Groeneweg
Director General, Advanced Manufacturing and Industrial Strategy
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada ( ISED )
Ottawa
Season 03, episode 08
Listen to this episode here
Where do you think life sciences technology is going? (This episode was recorded in March 2021, when Groeneweg was Director General of Manufacturing and Life Sciences Branch at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada)
I like answering questions like this because it shows the dynamism happening here on Canadian soil, what’s happening internationally and how we’re connected. Features include robotics and artificial intelligence, where Canada has a recognized global place as a leader. Those things, including how data is gathered and used, fundamentally change how drug discovery happens, how medical devices are used, and what information is gathered. The convergence comes from how organizations build and make things. One wouldn’t build [using] manufacturing technology from 10 years ago, [you would use] cutting-edge, new technology that includes advanced manufacturing principles and considerations. It's an exciting time. We’ve been involved in a dynamic period, and it will only prove to become more exciting and interesting as we move along the line toward precision medicine or personal medicine.
NEXT WEEK
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