The digital transformation of pharma
Eisai Canada's Pat Forsythe considers the collision of technological advancements and the pharmaceutical industry (1,195 words, 5.5 minutes)
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Implementing sales technology was an idea born not out of design but out of necessity during the Covid pandemic, in the view of one senior pharma industry leader. Regardless of why the change occurred, he adds, technological advances have helped drugmakers improve their communication with physicians.
“Zoom has actually made it easier for us. I can capture a larger audience and book it in a week… when it used to take three months to book meetings,” observes Pat Forsythe, General Manager of Eisai Canada. He offered the comments during a recent episode of the NPC Podcast.
Moreover, Forsythe says information technology (I.T.) has facilitated real-world evidence (RWE), which has created substantial value for the pharmaceutical industry: “Last year in breast cancer alone, there were 1,500 publications based on real-world evidence. Technology is enabling this to happen.”
Referring to the increasing privacy concerns associated with IT, Forsythe noted, “Your [health] insurance carrier [has] got your personal medical data. Your doctor has your data; your bank has your data. And there are risks involved in terms of privacy, but those organizations seem to have figured it out. So, my question is: Why would pharma be any different? I think there are ways to use this technology. And be respectful.
“Our first focus is human healthcare. We make all our decisions by asking, ‘Is this the right thing to do for patients?’” Forsythe told listeners that this question drives the mission that runs through the entire Eisai organization.
Research is also a priority for the company. “In 2020, Eisai spent 29 per cent of its top line revenues on R&D, which positioned it as number three among the top 50 pharma companies in the world, in terms of money for R&D,” he explained.
THIS WEEK 06/07/22
Roche Canada announced that Health Canada has authorized VABYSMO (faricimab injection) for the treatment of neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME).
Organon Canada announced the publication of the company’s first Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report for 2021. The ESG report highlights the company’s ESG platform, known as Her Promise, and describes how the company is working to help women and girls achieve their full potential through better health. The publication of the ESG Report and launch of Her Promise coincides with Organon’s first anniversary of its re-establishment as a company.
Amneal Pharmaceuticals announced that the U.S. FDA has approved the company’s Biologics License Application (“BLA”) for pegfilgrastim-pbbk, a biosimilar of Neulasta. The product will be marketed under the name Fylnetra and it is used to treat neutropenia, which is often experienced by patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Ketamine Wellness Centers (KWC), a ketamine therapy provider in the U.S., has expanded the availability of Spravato to three new cities: Minneapolis, Salt Lake City and Dallas. Spravato is a U.S. FDA-approved esketamine nasal spray indicated for treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder in adult patients.
LISTEN NOW
In season seven of the NPC Podcast, James Cran, Founder and CEO of Pharma Consultants Inc., talks about the evolution of pharma marketing, healthcare consumerization, and leading by example in virtual workplaces. Hear him in conversation with podcast co-hosts Mitch Shannon, Jim Shea and Mark McElwain.
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 18 years. In the selection committee’s view, they stand for a representative cross-section of the qualities that make our business unique and fulfilling. NPC Healthbiz Weekly will acknowledge one past Hall of Fame Honouree each week.
2006 Inductee
Terry Johnson
Toronto.
Editor’s Note: Terry retired in 2013.
Terry Johnson remembers the days when he was one of “three guys” with a dream of creating an ad agency with a difference. Now, some 22 years, three companies, and 160 employees later, the President and CEO of Allard Johnson Communications Inc. is a well-respected presence in healthcare communications.
Johnson, who came to marketing and advertising from the pharma side, credits “100 per cent dedication” to helping him build his agency empire. But 10 years spent on the pharmaceutical side in sales and product management with Warner-Lambert (Pfizer), and Johnson & Johnson (Ortho) helped set the stage for his foray into advertising.
His ad agency debut would materialize when he landed a job with Borg Advertising, Canada's first pharmaceutical advertising agency. But one year later, it was a partnership with seasoned ad men David Lindley and Richard Billinghurst that would create the fledgling agency Lindley, Billinghurst and Johnson (LBJ). What followed would be a series of mergers, acquisitions, and new ventures that would establish LBJ as a significant player on the Canadian agency scene.
Constantly scanning the horizon for new business opportunities, Johnson would enter the P.R. arena in 1993 when he started Veritas Communications, a leading P.R. and G.R. firm. The acquisition of Integrated Healthcare Communications would soon follow, as would the merger of LBJ with FRB (Social Marketing Firm), which resulted in the formation of LBI.FRB Communications. In 1999, the company merged with Allard & Associates in Montreal and later with Campbell & Associates Advertising adding Financial Services, Consumer Packaged Goods, and Retail expertise to their portfolio.
Johnson has recently tapped into the burgeoning wellness market with a new division: Ingredients Nutritional Insight Group. Drawing on the P.R. talent of Veritas, the educational expertise of IHC, the creative know-how of Allard Johnson, and the services of a nutritional expert, the virtual company provides much-needed services to the commercial food industry. Another new startup, Pharsite, is an interactive media group designed to round out A.J.’s other offerings.
Johnson remains low key about his accomplishments, suggesting that the ultimate measure of success is “how long you keep your clients.” He adds, “Our clients have made us what we are,” pointing to long-standing clients such as Purdue Pharma. “We owe our success to Purdue Pharma. They were the first client to say ‘we believe in these guys,’ and they’ve stayed with us for over two decades.”
But while Johnson attributes much of his business success to excellent account servicing and unparalleled creativity, he also strongly believes that agencies must take a mentoring role with product people. On the client-side, there’s little time for mentoring, and it should be every agency’s mandate to nurture product people with the experience they have. “In the old days, you could make mistakes. It was part of your training,” says Johnson, reflecting on his rookie days as a pharmaceutical marketer.
Johnson says that helping clients to “grow their products” and “hearing that they’re happy with the work you do” is key. “It sounds like motherhood, but you wouldn’t survive as long as I have in the industry if that wasn’t why you were there.”
NEXT WEEK
In the 06/14 edition of the NPC Healthbiz Weekly, Brian Bloom, CEO of Bloom Burton & Co., talks about the digitization of healthcare, drawing venture capital to Canada, and the annual Bloom Burton conference. It’s easy to get your no-charge subscription and have the issue sent to your phone or inbox each Tuesday at 6:00 a.m. sharp.
Stay safe, stay sure, and stay on your game. We’ll see you again next week.