executive spotlight
Alex Azar: Pricing, Politics and the Progress of Access Seeing the industry through the eyes of Eli Lilly’s Past President and George W. Bush’s Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services This article is compiled from our discussion with Mr. Azar at a recent Veeva Summit and an interview conducted by Matt Wallach, president and cofounder of Veeva. As of the date of publication, the new healthcare proposals were still being debated in Congress. We’ll see how his prognostications for the industry have played out. Alex Azar is an impressive expert, knowledgeable and articulate but understated and careful in his remarks. He has significant experience in government and pharma, and provides a picture of both that is free of polarization and contro-
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versy. Listening to him talk about his experience with other influencers gives you confidence that there are steady hands on the tiller, and that we are headed in the right direction, even if the headlines suggest otherwise.
Sales, Marketing and Brand Strategy Matt Wallach began his interview by asking about the changing landscape of the sales rep. Mr. Azar was not alarmed by the current situation. “I think that stories of the