Patient groups and their evolving relationships in the age of Covid-19
While there have been positives resulting from the pandemic, Dr. Durhane Wong-Rieger is still encountering some familiar issues when it comes to patients with rare diseases
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While Covid-19 has changed many aspects of how the Pharma industry operates, the interactions between Pharma and patient groups have not changed significantly, according to Dr. Durhane Wong-Rieger.
Dr. Wong-Rieger is the president of the Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders and the president of the Institute for Optimizing Health Outcomes.
“I think what [the pandemic has] done is that it's actually accentuated the edges that were there. Frankly, for us in the rare disease community, we are having a better-than-ever kind of relationship with Pharma and certainly those that serve the rare disease community,” said Dr. Wong-Rieger (photo below) on a recent episode of the “NPC Podcast,” a program for Pharma executives hosted by Peter Brenders, founder and president of Kontollo Health and CEO of the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation. (Listen to the episode here.)
“In Canada we are pretty, I think, good from the point of view of our relationships with Pharma. They are there to strongly support us. We do not get any sense that we are going to have any kind of problem,” Dr. Wong-Rieger continued.
She added that Pharma has gone the extra mile in the way they conduct clinical trials from collecting data from the patients’ home to moving the patient to an alternative site or visiting the patient directly.
In addition to the positive relationships between patient groups and Pharma, Dr. Wong-Rieger has also seen an improvement with government and patient groups during the pandemic.
“We have had tremendous feedback, even from the governments, that say we have never had such good relationships,” she said. “When we ask them for something, they respond. We ask for insurances and they respond. We all know they are working hand in glove in terms of developing vaccines, looking at new therapies, and expediting the access.
”That, to me, is absolutely a positive sign that we can work together. We can do this in a collaborative fashion. We don't have to be natural enemies, which we have always been very puzzled by, from the patient community.”
One issue Dr. Wong-Rieger has seen during the pandemic is the patients’ ability to access to hospital services and healthcare services.
“Getting to their specialists, even getting even the medicines [has been a problem], not because they are not there, but because their pharmacy may not have [the medication],” Dr. Wong-Rieger explained.
“I think there have been huge problems in terms of the health services being ready for [Covid-19], or finding alternative pathways. But with Pharma we have had a great response, and we have been really impressed with how much they bent over backwards to try to accommodate.”
While Dr. Wong-Rieger has seen positive changes in relationships during Covid-19, she is uncertain whether it will translate into better access for patients in the future for treatments or whether the Pharma industry will shy away from Canada due to policy issues.
She believes there are still hurdles to clear before new treatments come to Canada for patients with rare diseases.
“We have not seen that translate and say, ‘Oh, yeah, this is an amazing therapy for a patient with a rare disease and therefore we should be trying to get them that same access’,” said Dr. Wong-Rieger. “We have not seen that kind of thinking. We have tried to press it upon them, that what is good for a patient with Covid-19 is certainly good for a patient who has a rare disease.
“I think we would like to see that, but we have not seen yet. The pricing PMP in our view does not seem to have changed his tune in terms of the strict, strict price controls they want to put out there.”
The takeaway: For members of Pharma teams working with patient groups, Dr. Wong-Rieger said it is important to focus on the patients.
“Quite frankly, the companies have done the most and have been in the most successful are the ones that really do start with the patients, partner what the patients, really understand the patients, adapt and adjust—not just in the clinical trials but in the product itself,” Dr. Wong-Rieger concluded.
Further reading: Pharmaceutical companies and patient groups fear new price-setting guidelines could cut the number of clinical trials taking place in Canada. Story here.
YOUR HEALTHBIZ WEEK 10/20/20
GlaxoSmithKline Plc said an injection of its cabotegravir drug given every two months, in combination with Johnson & Johnson’s rilpivirine, was recommended for approval to treat HIV infections by a panel of the European health regulator. The treatment is a long-acting regimen, which can reduce the number of doses required to 12 or six per year instead of a daily intake of pills.
Galapagos NV and Servier reported that their Rocella Phase II clinical trial of GLPG1972/S201086 failed to meet its primary endpoint in osteoarthritis knee repair. The trial was designed to demonstrate efficacy of at least one dose of GLPG1972/S201086 compared to placebo after 52 weeks in reducing cartilage loss of the central medial tibiofemoral compartment of the target knee via quantitative MRI.
Merck announced that Health Canada has approved Keytruda (pembrolizumab), the company’s anti-PD-1 therapy, for the first-line treatment of metastatic or unresectable recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Health Canada also approved Keytruda as a first-line treatment of metastatic or unresectable recurrent HNSCC in combination with platinum and fluorouracil (FU) chemotherapy, in adult patients.
14th ANNUAL NATIONAL PHARMA CONGRESS UPDATE
STARTING TOMORROW (10/21/20): Chronicle Companies is honoured to host the 14th Annual National Pharmaceutical Congress, a virtual series of weekly webinars. As Canada's largest stage for leaders in the pharmaceutical industry, the Congress presents industry reflections, ideas, and innovations. The Congress has been attended by more than 200 delegates every year and is an opportunity to learn and reflect with the industry's most prominent thought leaders and visionaries. Organized in cooperation with Pangaea Consultants. (Hot tip: NPC Healthbiz Weekly readers get an additional 20% discount on registration fees by using the code NPC20. Just $319 plus HST for the three-day series. (Bursaries may be available for students, retirees and transitioning executives. Contact us for details.)
This scheduled agenda
Wednesday 10/21 11:00 am to 1:00 pm EST
Session 1: Career Advice in the Post-Covid Life Science
Sponsored by ImpresSession 2: Industry Role and Partnerships: Have They Changed Through Covid-19
Sponsored by Digital Partners
Wednesday 10/28 11:00 am to 1:00 pm EST
Session 1: Future External Deployments, Structures and Skill Sets
Sponsored by Shoppers Specialty RxSession 2: Patient Centricity: What Does It Mean in Action?Sponsored by McKesson Canada
Wednesday 11/04 11:00 am to 1:00 pm EST
Session 1: How Do We Launch Products Post Covid-19
Sponsored by Bayshore HealthcareSession 2: Inclusion and Diversity in a Virtual and Real-Life World
Sponsored by Ashfield Healthcare Canada
This scheduled speakers
Pamela Fralick, Innovative Medicines Canada
Andrew Casey, BIOTECanada
Jason Field, Life Sciences Ontario
Ronnie Miller, Hoffmann-La Roche
Brian Bloom, Bloom Burton
Pat Forsythe, Eisai
Danielle Portnik, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals
Marissa Poole, Sanofi Genzyme
Eileen McMahon, Torys
Paul Petrelli, Jazz Pharmaceuticals
Jim Hall, Covis Pharma
Carol Stiff, Santen Pharmaceuticals
Zal Press, CADTH
Brian Canestraro, Intercept Pharmaceuticals
Sylvie Pilon, Emergent Biosolutions
Peter Brenders, Kontollo Health
David Renwick, Emergent Biosolutions
Arima Ventin, Allergan
Ross Glover, Taiho Pharma
others to be announced; see updated list at pharmacongress.info
Profits from the 2020 National Pharmaceutical Congress support Sandi’s Fund for Camp Liberté. More than $50,000 has been raised for Canadian health charities through the National Pharmaceutical Congress.
Watch a “greatest hits” encore presentation from a past NPC event
CANADIAN HEALTHCARE MARKETING HALL OF FAME
The Canadian Healthcare Marketing Hall of Fame awards were established in 2002, to honour healthcare marketers who have contributed to our avocation and are an inspiration to others.
More than 100 honourees have been selected during the past 18 years. They stand for, in the view of the selection committee, a representative cross-section of the qualities that make our business unique and fulfilling. Each week, NPC Healthbiz Weekly will acknowledge one past Hall of Fame Honouree.
2018 Inductee
Richard Lajoie
Bausch Health
Laval, Que.
Editor’s note: Richard Lajoie joined Bausch Health Canada in 2013 as Vice President of the Pharma business unit. He was promoted to President and General Manager in 2017, a position he currently holds.
Not every success story takes the form of a life long dream realized. For Richard Lajoie, President of Bausch Health Canada, the road to his current position has been something of an indirect one, though no less rewarding.
Earlier in his life, Lajoie had an interest in the performance of the human body, which led him into hockey, competitive snowboard and canoe racing, but also into a study of the sciences (kinesiology). At the same time, while running a small snowboard shop, he developed a strong interest in business.
After finishing his science degrees, he sought an education in the business side, a quest that took him through his MBA and other executive certifications from Harvard and Columbia business schools.
“It was really a sort of merger of two passions,” Lajoie said. “The human body and performance, and business. But I would not pretend it was ‘meant to be’ or designed from the beginning.”
After joining Novartis Pharma in 2001, Lajoie began to rise through roles of increasing responsibility. The journey took his family to Calgary, where his first son was born, and then to Copenhagen and the role of General Manager for Novartis Oncology for Denmark, Norway, and Iceland.
“I had a good time going through all the roles in Canada, but at one point you have to challenge yourself to see to what extent you can export your leadership brand,” he said. “In Canada you can manage diversity, but when you move to the Nordic countries and are responsible for three countries with different currencies, different languages, and different cultures, it is a true test of leadership. You cannot rely on your friends and your network. You need to reinvent yourself and get to the next level from a cultural perspective and from a diversity perspective.”
In 2013 Lajoie moved to Valeant Canada—now Bausch Health—as Vice-President in charge of the pharmaceutical business unit. That, he said, has been an invaluable experience for his new position as President. “For the last five years I was on the executive board locally, so I have been exposed to the full business.”
“When you have a thousand employees, and you have two large manufacturing plants . . . your previous commercial sales and marketing reflexes are not enough to lead to another level.”
Not long ago, Bausch Health launched Jublia, which has become the number one onychomycosis treatment in Canada. “We are the market leader locally and recognized internationally,” said Lajoie. “For me, to beat the numbers locally is not an achievement itself. The goal was to be the best launch in the world, and the team has been able to deliver to that mandate so far.”
In addition to his current role, Lajoie is still active in his hometown as a board member and co-owner of the Shawinigan Cataractes in the Quebec Major Junior hockey league. He is proudly contributing to the team’s aspiration of winning championships and developing NHL-level players, but also remains extremely committed to supporting the players throughout their academic endeavors in order to mold them into responsible and educated citizens.
NEXT WEEK
The 10/27 edition of NPC Healthbiz Weekly will feature Lisa Mullett of Sunovion on the evolution of the Pharma industry over the past seven months. Subscribe and have the issue sent to your phone or inbox each Tuesday at 6:00 am sharp.
Stay safe and stay on your game. We’ll see you again next Tuesday.