Lisa Mullet on the importance of diversity in shaping healthcare
Sumitomo Pharma Canada’s GM says stepping out of your comfort zone is the way to further your career (Issue #327, 1,193 words, 5.5 minutes)
Good morning, and welcome to the NPC Healthbiz Weekly e-newsletter from the National Pharmaceutical Congress and Chronicle Companies.
In an era of rapid scientific breakthroughs and shifting patient expectations, industry leaders are reimagining what it means to deliver effective and inclusive healthcare.
On a recent episode of the NPC Podcast, Lisa Mullet, the general manager of Sumitomo Pharma Canada, candidly assessed the sector's challenges and opportunities. Mullet argued that true progress demands more than technological innovation—it requires leaders willing to step beyond their comfort zones and champion diversity and inclusion at every level, from the boardroom to clinical trials.
Mullet described her career trajectory as a “jungle gym” approach, where she pursued knowledge and experience across different roles, from sales to public policy to corporate strategy. “Many people enter the industry and see a straight, vertical ladder, but that doesn’t always give you the experiences you need,” she said. “I’ve always tried to absorb as much information as possible, to learn about the industry from all angles, and to explore everything I could in each role I’ve taken on.” She added that her decision to explore unfamiliar areas, such as reimbursement and market access, significantly broadened her understanding of how patients receive treatment.
Reflecting on her career journey, Mullet [pictured below] underscored the value of taking risks and embracing challenges to foster growth. Her transition from sales and marketing to public policy and reimbursement roles marked a significant leap outside her comfort zone. “I think I grew the most when I took the most risk personally and taking on big challenges,” she said. She added that these experiences broadened her understanding of how governments make decisions about medicine access and strengthened her ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments.
During the episode, Mullet emphasized that diversity is not just a buzzword but a cornerstone for creating stronger teams and delivering better patient outcomes. “Diversity makes us stronger as a society,” she said. “Particularly in this industry, you must understand that we’re trying to serve a diverse patient population. Each of those patients has a unique background and a unique way of managing their disease.” She explained that including people with varied backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives in decision-making is vital to serving a diverse patient population. For her, diversity extends beyond ethnicity and gender, including personality types, problem-solving styles, and lived experiences.
Beyond organizational culture, Mullet highlighted diversity's critical role in clinical trials and drug development. She stressed that understanding patients’ lived experiences with diseases is essential for creating effective treatments. “The most expensive medicine is the one the patient doesn’t take,” she noted. “One of my key learnings in market access is that if you can’t get a payer to cover it, all the work is for nothing.” She said pharmaceutical companies can ensure their innovations meet real-world needs while addressing gaps in access and reimbursement by integrating patient perspectives early in development processes. For her, this approach is fundamental to achieving patient-centricity, a goal she believes should be central to the industry.
Mullet also reflected on how leadership evolves. Early in her career, she focused on individual accomplishments but later learned the importance of team collaboration and trust. “As you go on, you learn that you can’t know everything and you can’t do everything,” she said. “Most importantly, you learn to accept that what you bring to the table isn’t the same as what someone else brings, and that’s okay.” She noted that her leadership style now prioritizes democratic decision-making and collective problem-solving, ensuring that diverse voices contribute to achieving shared goals. She emphasized that aligning teams toward common objectives strengthens their ability to deliver desired outcomes.
THIS WEEK 04/15/25
Health Canada approved Organon’s tapinarof cream 1% (Nduvra) for the topical treatment of plaque psoriasis in adults.
Novartis’ iptacopan capsules (Fabhalta) are now available across Canada for adult patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria who have hemolytic anemia.
Kye Pharmaceuticals has submitted a New Drug Submission to Health Canada for the regulatory review and approval of vamorolone (Agamree). If approved, Agamree would become the first therapy approved by Health Canada with an indication for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Health Canada has granted the drug a priority review, and marketing authorization could occur before the end of 2025.
Cynosure Lutronic announced that Health Canada has granted clearance to XERF, a noninvasive radio frequency device designed to redefine skin-tightening treatment.
NOW, LISTEN UP: HERE’S PAUL LEVESQUE OF THERATECHNOLOGIES
In season 13 of the NPC Podcast, Paul Levesque, President and CEO of Theratechnologies Inc., gives insights into biopharma innovation, tariffs' effects on the supply chain and pharma manufacturing, and cross-border business development. 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. You can listen to the podcast here.
John McKendry
President and CEO
Kye Pharmaceuticals
Mississauga, Ont.
Season 13, episode 01
Listen to this episode here
What bold predictions do you have for the life sciences industry during the coming 12 or 24 months?
A couple of things come to mind. First, we’ll see more specialty pharma companies emerging, including legacy generic manufacturers moving into the space. We recently saw Apotex’s acquisition of Searchlight Pharma, and there’s been some tightening around reimbursement pricing and single-entry thresholds for generics. Companies that have historically benefited from those conditions will need to find value elsewhere.
At the same time, Canada’s increasingly complex and challenging pricing and reimbursement environment may lead more companies to delay or even reconsider setting up operations here. As a Canadian specialty pharma expert, Kye Pharma sees an opportunity to partner with those organizations and bring their medications to Canadian patients, ensuring they get access to the same treatments available in the U.S. or Europe.
Another area I see expanding is the growing scope of practice. Over the next 12 to 24 months, we’ll see a continued rise in roles for nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and allied health professionals. That can be great for access and patient care, but it also means the pharmaceutical industry must find better ways to inform, educate, and engage with this broader range of healthcare providers. That’s how we ensure our medicines in Canada are used appropriately and deliver the best outcomes.
Looking ahead to the second half of 2026, I hope the number of patients benefiting from the treatments we've brought to market has grown five- to 10-fold. That would be an incredible achievement. I’d expect we’d have the broadest ADHD portfolio in the country, enabling physicians to provide better care and more support to families. We also anticipate several rare disease medicines getting approved—those are life-changing—and we plan to make meaningful progress in another specialty.
Finally, on culture and team—yes, the team will have grown, but more importantly, I want every team member to see their fingerprints and impact across everything we’re building. We could all do our jobs elsewhere, but we’ve chosen to do them here. We’re accountable to each other for that every day. For me, the place to build that kind of company is Kye Pharma, and the place to do it is right here in Canada.
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