Reimagining patient-centricity in pharma
How pharma companies are integrating patient-centric approaches to enhance engagement and outcomes (Issue #315, 1,473 words, 7 minutes)
Good morning, and welcome to the NPC Healthbiz Weekly e-newsletter from the National Pharmaceutical Congress and Chronicle Companies.
In an era of soaring healthcare costs and patients increasingly expecting personalized care, pharmaceutical companies are grappling with a critical challenge: How to truly put patients at the centre of their business models. As the industry faces mounting pressure to deliver value beyond pills, a recent panel at the 18th Annual National Pharmaceutical Congress explored the complexities of a patient-centric focus.
Jeff Drew, Country Manager-Interim at Emergent BioSolutions, emphasized that patient-centricity goes beyond words and must be integrated into the organization’s culture. He described a patient-centric culture as collaborative and compassionate, fostering a shared sense of purpose among employees. “What comes out of that is enhanced employee satisfaction, driven by a sense of purpose and accomplishing something greater than themselves,” he said. “This leads to higher staff engagement and retention, which translates into better ideas for incorporating patient centricity,” Drew added. This approach fosters innovation and adaptability within organizations, attracts new patients, and helps retain existing patients.
Patient-centric approaches can significantly impact a company’s performance, especially in a crowded market, according to Robin Hunter, General Manager at Tolmar. Hunter said that despite being relatively new and small, a recent survey showed Tolmar ranked fourth in the oncology sector, behind only larger companies such as AstraZeneca, Janssen, and Pfizer. “We ranked second in patient support, patient tools, and nursing support,” he said. “We also ranked number one in education and oncology and number one in people. It’s that last one, people, that is most important regarding patient centricity.”
Patient-centricity has become a buzzword in the pharma industry, with companies often not providing appropriate resources to support their claims, according to Ross Glover, former General Manager at Taiho Pharma. He said that Pharma companies sometimes focus on achieving corporate goals and lose sight of the actual patient experience, and this disconnection can lead to skepticism about the industry’s true motivations. Glover emphasized the need for the industry to shift its approach and demonstrate a genuine commitment to improving patients’ lives rather than simply focusing on business metrics.
“My message today is about changing the perception of patient-centricity, to show that it’s not just a buzzword, but something we truly believe in,” he said. “It drives our momentum and fuels our passion to wake up every morning and be involved in this industry. It’s about improving lives, and we must discuss that more. Companies that focus on patient-centric programs are often perceived as better, even as leaders in their field. We must take this message beyond our industry to show that we do all this for patients.”
THIS WEEK 01/28/25
The U.S. FDA approved Medexus’ treosulfan (Grafapex), an alkylating agent, with fludarabine as a preparative regimen for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in adult and pediatric patients one year of age and older with acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome.
AstraZeneca announced a C$820 million (US$570m) investment in Canada to advance the growing global hub and clinical delivery. This initiative will create over 700 high-skilled jobs across all business areas. The investment will support the move to a larger, state-of-the-art office facility in Ontario’s Greater Toronto Area.
Canada’s Minister of Health, Mark Holland and Sylvia Jones, Ontario’s Minister of Health, announced a bilateral agreement investing over $535 million to improve access to selected new drugs for rare diseases and to support enhanced access to existing drugs, early diagnosis, and screening. The first step in this bilateral agreement will be to deliver funding to the province to provide access to five drugs under the National Strategy for Rare Diseases.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) accepted for review and has begun assessing the marketing authorization application for ImmunityBio, Inc.’s nogapendekin alfa inbakicept-pmln (Anktiva) in combination with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin for the treatment of patients with BCG-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer with carcinoma in situ, with or without papillary tumours.
NOW LISTEN UP: HERE’S TOM SLOWE OF BREADCRUMB ANALYTICS
In season 13 of the NPC Podcast, Tom Slowe, CEO of Breadcrumb Analytics, gives insights into using AI to sort and sift through statistics, the importance of context with data, and why AI should only supplement human work. Hear him in conversation with podcast hosts Mitch Shannon, Jim Shea, and Mark McElwain.
REGISTER NOW FOR THE NPC LIVE WINTER WEBINAR ON FEBRUARY 12 AT 11 AM EDT
What kind of year ahead can we expect in the life sciences industry in Canada? That’s the question everyone is asking. Get real answers on 02/12 when the National Pharmaceutical Congress presents the 2025 Winter Webinar, featuring Dr. Bettina Hamelin of Innovative Medicines Canada, Brian Bloom of Bloom Burton & Co., and other experts in a free-wheeling panel discussion moderated by Ben Parry of Pangaea Group and Mitch Shannon of Chronicle Companies. Register for free and be prepared to ask the experts during this one-hour virtual event. Sign up using the link below.
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 vocation and inspire others.
More than 100 honourees have been selected during the past 22 years. In the selection committee’s view, they represent a cross-section of the qualities that make our business unique and fulfilling. NPC Healthbiz Weekly will acknowledge the 2024 Hall of Fame Honorees over the next few weeks. Nominate a colleague for the 2025 Canadian Healthcare Marketing Hall of Fame by clicking here.
2024 Inductee
Michael Stone
Country Manager
Merz Therapeutics
Burlington, Ont.
Michael Stone, Country Manager at Merz Therapeutics, describes himself as “a teacher with transferable skills.” While waiting for a new high school teaching role, a friend of his then-girlfriend (now wife) suggested he might be an excellent fit for an open pharmaceutical representative position at Eli Lilly. So, he discovered an unexpected opportunity to transition into the healthcare space. It turned out that his friend was right. “I worked as a pharma rep for a little over three years before trying different marketing roles on various products,” Stone recalled. One of the highlights of his career was working on an erectile dysfunction treatment. “We took it direct-to-consumer and developed some great commercials,” he said. “It began as the underdog to a popular competitor brand, so we were thrilled when we succeeded.”
Stone’s leadership has been evident throughout his career, marked by his ability to lead teams and drive successful outcomes. After 24 years at Eli Lilly, Stone continued his career with Mallinckrodt Pharma Canada.
As of February 2024, Stone has been part of Merz Therapeutics—one of the first companies worldwide to successfully develop and commercialize a botulinum neurotoxin for patients with movement disorders.
He was particularly drawn to Merz Therapeutics’ inclusion on Fortune’s “Best Companies to Work For” list, which reflects the company’s commitment to a positive work environment. “At this stage of my career, the people I work with and the culture is very important,” he said. “Merz Therapeutics has a very people-oriented culture and, at the same time, has well-planned growth aspirations in specialty neurology, which energize me.”
Stone’s leadership qualities have been instrumental in his success at Merz Therapeutics. His strategic vision and innovative approach have driven ongoing success for the organization. However, he considers enhancing patients’ lives to be one of his most meaningful achievements. “I’ve spoken with patients who told me that we are meeting their needs and making a difference in their lives,” he reflected. “That’s something I tell my team regularly— when we do our job well, people lead healthier and happier lives. And you don’t get that kind of fulfillment from selling vacuums.”
When balancing the demands of a leadership job with his personal life, Stone believes in being intentional with his priorities. “Choose the moments you want to be present for with your family and don’t miss them. For over 20 years, I’ve coached each of my kid’s hockey teams, and I prioritized leaving the office to make it to the arena. My wife and I prioritize family and have complementary strengths that allow us to balance.”
Humbled to be inducted into the Canadian Healthcare Marketing Hall of Fame, Stone offers this career advice: “Be great in your current role and be in the right place at the right time. I’m grateful that someone once took a chance on me, thinking that maybe a teacher could succeed in the pharmaceutical industry.”
INTRODUCING DERMATOLOGY.BUSINESS and the DERMATOLOGY.BUSINESS DEEP DIVE PODCAST
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