April 2017 PHARMAFI E LD.CO.U K
For full coverage and photos of the Pf Awards 2017, view the Awards Brochure at ISSUU.COM/PFMAGAZINE
P FAWA R D S .C O.U K
WELCOME
EDITOR
John Pinching john@pharmafield.co.uk A S S I S TA N T E D I T O R
Amy Schofield amy@pharmafield.co.uk ART DIRECTOR
Emma Warfield emma@pharmafield.co.uk COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR
Hazel Lodge hazel@pharmafield.co.uk SALES & MARKETING MANAGER
Rachel Cresswell rachel@pharmafield.co.uk FINANCIAL CONTROLLER
Fiona Beard finance@events4healthcare.com P f AWA R D S
Melanie Hamer melanie@events4healthcare.com PUBLISHER
Karl Hamer karl@events4healthcare.com pharmafield.co.uk events4healthcare.com @pharmafield @pharmajobsuk HEAD OFFICE
Spirella Building Bridge Road Letchworth Garden City Hertfordshire SG6 4ET United Kingdom Cover illustration by Alex Buccheri alexbuccheri.com The content of and information contained in this magazine are the opinions of the contributors and/or the authors of such content and/or information. Events 4 Healthcare accepts no responsibility or liability for any loss, cost, claim or expense arising from any reliance on such content or information. Users should independently verify such content or information before relying on it. The Publisher (Events 4 Healthcare) and its Directors shall not be responsible for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies within the publication, or within other sources that are referred to within the magazine. The Publisher provides the features and advertisements on an ‘as is’ basis, without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability or fi tness for a particular purpose, other than those warranties that are implied by and capable of exclusion, restriction, or modification under the laws applicable to this agreement.
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Letter from the Editor
mid the fanfare of awards season, pharma has its very own Oscars – the Pf Awards. In our industry – arguably the fastest moving in the world – we rarely allow ourselves the luxury of reflection. For 17 years, however, our awards have had one central aim – to celebrate excellence among the brilliant people of pharma. If the recent Pf Awards Dinner was anything to go by, it was mission accomplished. Indeed, as long as we witness your passion, and as long as people keep pushing themselves to greater heights, the Pf Awards will keep returning. To catch all the glory, triumph and chat from an unforgettable evening, check out our feature and Post Awards Brochure – and if all those smiling faces and feelings of wellbeing have given you an appetite for success, why not enter next year’s awards? Our winners are not the only people reaching previously unchartered summits – the patient population is evolving too. ‘Patient 2.0’ does not leave its healthcare, or the decisions connected with it, to healthcare professionals anymore. Patient 2.0 is tech-savvy, knows about their condition and is ready to challenge the status quo. So, who is this upgraded specimen, and how can industry embrace the new culture of patient authority? We have gathered some fascinating views from our panel of experts. In addition, we’ve got coffee with an industry guru, a curious new theory on IVF and a report on dementia – the ‘new’ pandemic which threatens us all. Meanwhile, our opinionated posse of columnists – covering the NHS, pharmacy and politics – return with their unique brand of commentary. Have a great day and keep making a difference,
No copying, distribution, adaptation, extraction, reutilisation or other exploitation (whether in electronic or other format and whether for commercial or non-commercial purposes) may take place except with the express permission of the Publisher and the copyright owner (if other than the Publisher). The information contained in this magazine and/or any accompanying brochure is intended for sales and marketing professionals within the healthcare industry, and not the medical profession or the general public. Pf is published monthly. For subscription details, telephone 01462 476119 or email hello@pharmafield.co.uk.
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M AG A ZI N E | A PR I L 2017 | 1
CONTENTS N E WS
Bringing you this month’s essential headlines C OV E R S TO RY
The Pf Awards ’17 proved to be unforgettable OPINION
David’s talking linguistics, labels and learning F E AT U R E
Do clock changes really play havoc with IVF? F E AT U R E
The dawn of the modern patient is here COFFEE BREAK
David Garmon-Jones’s life in pharma EVENTS & CONFERENCES
Parallel Learning on 5YFV OPINION
New pharmacy columnist Deborah Evans OPINION
Is healthcare analytics the future for pharma? POLITICS
The Spring Budget is thoroughly dissected F E AT U R E
Living longer comes at a cost – dementia P H A R M ATA L E N T
Who’s moved on and who’s moved up P H A R M ATA L E N T
Katie Sewards on driving women’s health
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MAGAZINE
April READER’S VOICE: “It was heart-warming to read Pf Magazine’s March cover story on philanthropy. The generosity of the featured celebrities was admirable. We believe, however, that philanthropy should not be limited to individuals, but a core element of every workplace. At earthware it is essential to our culture – we support some brilliant causes, such as the Just Living Foundation, who provide essential healthcare across the third world, and the Pepper Foundation, who deliver home-based palliative care for young people. This is not a boast, but a way of inspiring companies to make a positive impact on the health of our nation and the wider world. If you’re thinking about doing more in this area, I’m happy to have a chat – my contact details are on our website.” Neil Osmond, Founder, earthware
HAVE YOUR SAY: What recent developments in medicine have had an impact on you? What would you ask the ABPI? We’ll be covering these issues in the next Pf Magazine – tell us what you think. GET IN TOUCH: hello@pharmafield.co.uk
@pharmafield
@pharmajobsuk
Pf Magazine
BE IN THE KNOW. To request a FREE print subscription for your workplace, or to sign up to our weekly newsletters for the essential headlines, Jobs of the Week, Pharmatalent and thought-provoking features, please email hello@pharmafield.co.uk. This issue and all past issues of Pf Magazine can be viewed online at issuu.com/pfmagazine
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NHS
Majority report
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he NHS Confederation has responded to the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) ‘State of Hospitals’ report by saying that the current system is “simply not sustainable” and that the way care is delivered must change. Niall Dickson, Chief Executive of the Confederation, which represents health service organisations across England, said: “Everyone knows that hospitals are finding it increasingly difficult to cope, and this report again shows that well run institutions are struggling. It is now clear that A&E, in particular, is close to breaking point because the wider system isn’t sufficiently funded to keep enough people healthy, nearer home.”
M U LT I P L E M Y E LO M A
A new hope
In the CQC’s report, Professor Sir Mike Richards – England’s foremost hospital inspector – said that the NHS “stands on a burning platform.” Following the first round of the latest inspections of England’s 136 acute non-specialist trusts, and all 18 specialist trusts, Sir Mike warned that safety is still a “real concern”, as it was found that four out of five NHS trusts need to improve on patient safety. He added that rising demand for care, on top of economic pressures, is creating “difficult-to-manage situations that are putting patient care at risk.”.
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elgene UK has announced the approval by the European Commission of lenalidomide as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, who have already undergone autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Lenalidomide is the first and only licensed maintenance treatment available to these patients. The lenalidomide marketing authorisation has been updated to include this new indication, which expands on the existing multiple myeloma indications as combination therapy for the treatment of those not eligible for a transplant. Over half of patients relapse within two to three years of ASCT, therefore the approval of a therapy for use after that event may delay disease progression and represents a major advance for these patients. Professor Graham Jackson, Consultant Haematologist at Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Multiple myeloma remains an incurable cancer and as clinicians we are always looking for different treatment approaches to help achieve the best quality remission for patients.”
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BAC K T WE ET THE WORD ON CYBER STREET SOMETHING TO SAY? @Pharmafield
Christina Farr @chrissyfarr
Q. Should I be using the terms “digital health” and “health technology” interchangeably? Deafblind UK @DeafblindUK
Google’s DeepMind to peek at NHS eye scans for disease analysis Guardian Healthcare @GdnHealthcare
ICYMI: NHS technology: saving the health service one byte at a time #NHS Alzheimer's Society @alzheimerssoc
£1bn social care funding announced in #Budget2017, but the government must deliver change for people with dementia
DEMENTIA
MISSING LINK Researchers at the University of Bath have identified a link between dementia and high blood sugar – a common symptom of diabetes. The team compared brain samples of 30 people with and without Alzheimer’s disease and tested them for protein glycation, a modification caused by high glucose levels in the blood. The researchers found that a particular enzyme – known as ‘macrophage migration inhibitory factor’, or MIF – was glycated in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease, and that glycation stopped the enzyme from working properly. MIF has previously been implicated in the inflammatory response that occurs in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Dr Clare Walton, Research Manager at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “We know that diabetes can double a person’s risk of developing dementia, but we still don’t really understand how the two conditions are linked – this study offers a vital clue.” The research was published in the Scientific Reports journal. Meanwhile, Alzheimer’s Society is currently funding a clinical trial to see whether a diabetes drug can be used as a dementia treatment.
The Economist @TheEconomist
A digital revolution is getting more people off the sofa #Factoftheday NorthumbriaNHS @NorthumbriaNHS
ACO in Northumberland will create building blocks for a sustainable system @blairalistair @N_LandNHS explaining clinical vision #FutureNHS Pf Awards @Pf_Awards
We want to thank you all for making 2017 one to remember. Please share your photos using #PfAwards2017 Thomas Cox @CandDThomas
Pharmacists could help reduce NHS social care bill by £850m annually through diagnosing high blood pressure early – @JamieWaterall #PVForum ABPI @ABPI_UK
Worldwide, biopharma is a huge investor in research and development
D I G I TA L .
MERCK IN AMAZON PACKAGE
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erck is working in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to explore the creation and delivery of innovative digital consumer solutions for people living with chronic disease. Using ‘Amazon Lex’ – the same deep learning technologies that power ‘Amazon Alexa’ – Merck will initially focus on helping patients with diabetes to improve their health management. Kimberly Park, Vice President, Customer Strategy & Innovation, Global Human Health, Merck, said: “Merck has a deep heritage of tackling chronic diseases through our medicines, and we have been expanding into other ways to help, beyond the pill. “We are excited to leverage the AWS Cloud to find innovative ways to leverage digital solutions, such as voice-activated technology, to help support better outcomes,” she added.
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Quick doses TA K E DA has announced findings from the ongoing GEMINI study, showing vedolizumab is associated with sustained clinical response in treating ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. A S H F I E L D H E A LTH C A R E is implementing Salesforce Health Cloud to enhance patient support programmes in the US and Europe. WO M E N I N S C I E N C E
Wonder women Female healthcare scientists are invited to apply for NHS England’s fellowship scheme, aimed at providing career support for women in science. Led by Professor Sue Hill OBE – NHS England’s Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) – the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Fellowship scheme aims to support four female healthcare scientists through a career development programme over 12 months that includes mentoring, communication and leadership skills training. In addition, fellows will attend both the WISE and CSO conferences. Launched on International Women’s Day, in partnership with WISE, the scheme is now in its second year. WISE aims to get one million more
N H S E N G L A N D.
RARE STAKE
women in the UK working in careers based across science, technology, engineering and maths. The 2017 fellowship scheme was formally announced by Professor Hill at the CSO annual conference at the Crick Institute in London. She said: “This is a unique opportunity to help female healthcare scientists working in the NHS to gain the skills and experience to become the next generation of leaders in the health system.” Sandra Chinyere, Ashford and St Peter’s Clinical Service Manager for Neurophysiology and a 2016 WISE fellow, added: “It is a visible platform via which women from healthcare science backgrounds can move into influential leadership roles.”
Three new specialised treatments are to be made available for patients suffering from certain rare diseases, NHS England has confirmed. Patients undergoing allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplants, who suffer a relapse after a first transplant, will now be allowed an additional transplant. The move will benefit around 15 patients a year. Meanwhile, eculizumab therapy – for the kidney condition ‘C3 glomerulopathy’ – will be offered to patients who suffer a relapse following a kidney transplant, equating to around five patients a year. In addition, approximately 90 to 125 patients
The CHMP of the EMA has recommended broadening existing marketing authorisation for JA N S S E N ’s Darzalex ® (daratumumab) to include adult patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy. J O H N S O N & J O H N S O N is closing a surgical suture factory in Scotland, as part of wider restructuring. The Ethicon site at Livingston is deemed to be ‘surplus to requirements’. The V E E VA 2016 European Customer Data Survey showed that 70% of companies are looking for greater customer segmentation data to deliver personalised communications. S A N O F I is ‘disappointed’ by the provisional NICE decision not to approve very rare disease treatment, Cerdelga®, for use in the NHS.
a year will be eligible to receive treatment with riociguat, for pulmonary arterial hypertension, in cases where other treatment options have failed. This will be conditional on the manufacturer offering a discounted price for the treatment. John Stewart, NHS England’s acting Director for Specialised Commissioning, said: “This is really good news for the relatively small number of patients for whom these new treatments could prove beneficial.” Pf View: Uplifting for those suffering from conditions that are overshadowed by ‘headline’ diseases.
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BIOSIMILARS
License to pill
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ylan has agreed a global settlement with Genentech and Roche over patents for the blockbuster cancer drug, Herceptin® (trastuzumab). The terms provide Mylan with global licenses for its biosimilar trastuzumab product. The global license will allow Mylan to commercialise trastuzumab in markets around the world, while the licenses apply to all countries except Japan, Brazil and Mexico. The settlement also eliminates further patent litigation expenses associated with Genentech and Roche. In return, Mylan has agreed to withdraw its pending Inter Partes Review challenges against two U.S. Genentech patents as part of the settlement. Following this settlement, and the recent acceptance of its application for the proposed biosimilar, trastuzumab, by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Mylan could be the first company to launch a biosimilar to Herceptin in the States. Mylan CEO, Heather Bresch, said: “There is an unmet need for access to more affordable versions of biologic products such as trastuzumab. With 16 biosimilar products in development, we believe Mylan has one of the industry’s broadest portfolios of biosimilars and that we will be a leader in bringing high-quality biosimilar products to market.” Mylan has exclusive commercialisation rights for the proposed biosimilar trastuzumab in the U.S., Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and in the European Union and European Free Trade Association countries, while Biocon has co-exclusive commercialisation rights with Mylan for the product in the rest of the world. Check out our Pharmatalent interview with Katie Sewards of Mylan UK on p34.
PAT I E N T VO I C E .
KEEP TALKING
The results from a global survey of over 150 people living with the life-threatening lung disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), demonstrate that, while many patients were involved in treatment decisions, opportunities exist to improve. The results from the survey – supported by Boehringer Ingelheim – were released to coincide with Rare Disease Day, the current theme of which is ‘research’. They demonstrate that two out of three patients (64%) were involved in the decision-making process for their IPF treatment. One out of every three patients (30%), however, said they were not. Liam Galvin, Secretary of the European Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis & Related Disorders Federation, said: “Open discussion about lifestyle needs and priorities of patients is key to making the right choice of therapy.” The findings expand on insights from a 2015 global survey of over 400 pulmonologists, which showed that while patients and physicians agreed on one of the key treatment priorities – maintaining lung function – views on other priorities differed. Pf View: The neo-patient is here and they are turning up the volume. It seems rather odd that patients making decisions about their own health wasn’t always a priority. Check out our feature ‘Patient 2.0’ on p16.
I M M U N O -. .T H E R A PY.
CAR-T FORCE
K
ite Pharma has announced positive data from the primary analysis of its ZUMA-1 trial for lead CAR-T candidate, axicabtagene ciloleucel, in patients with chemorefractory aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma – a type of blood cancer. The ground-breaking immunotherapy treatment was shown to clear disease from one third of terminal patients after just one dose. The results from Kite Pharma’s first six months of its trial showed that 36% of the 101 patients were still in complete remission at six months. Meanwhile, eight out of 10 participants saw their cancer shrink by at least half during the study and 5% of participants continue to experience significant partial responses.
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PA R T N E R S H I P S .
Sending out an SOS
Boehringer Ingelheim has joined forces with Vanderbilt University, Nashville, to focus on the research and development of small molecule compounds targeting the protein SOS. Also known as ‘Son Of Sevenless’, it activates KRAS, a molecular switch that plays a central role in the onset of some of the deadliest cancers. The collaboration combines pioneering research in the laboratory of Stephen W. Fesik – Orrin H. Ingram II Professor in Cancer Research at Vanderbilt University – and Boehringer Ingelheim’s expertise in drug discovery and clinical development. It builds on an existing joint project with Vanderbilt University, which began in 2015, and achieved major milestones by identifying lead compounds that bind KRAS with high affinities. These discoveries raise the prospect of developing novel cancer treatment options.
Apathy in the UK Following Chancellor Philip Hammond’s Spring Budget, the ABPI’s Chief Executive Officer, Mike Thompson, has highlighted a missed opportunity to announce measures to make treatments developed and discovered in Britain available to UK patients. “The Chancellor’s confirmation of funding to develop medicines manufacturing technologies and develop STEM skills is very welcome, however, what is missing from the budget are measures to make them available to patients here,” Thompson said. “For every 100 European patients who can access new medicines in the first year of launch, on average just 15 UK patients receive the same.” He commented that the upcoming industrial strategy for life sciences is “the best chance we have to reverse this”, and called for improved access and more investment.
PSORIASIS
Bon VOYAGE
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anssen has announced the results of two clinical trials demonstrating the effectiveness of its new plaque psoriasis drug, guselkumab. Data from the phase III VOYAGE 2 study showed that – compared to placebo – patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, who were treated with guselkumab, experienced significant improvements in skin clearance and other measures of disease activity.
In addition, guselkumab showed better results than an established anti-TNF therapy, making this the second phase III study to demonstrate superior efficacy of guselkumab, following similar results from VOYAGE 1. The results of another phase III trial – NAVIGATE – indicated that patients who had an inadequate response following treatment with Stelara showed significant improvement after treatment with guselkumab.
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Pf Awards 2017 The biggest Pf Awards ever celebrates new heights of industry brilliance.
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s the seventeenth Pf Awards unfolded at the Lancaster Hotel in London it was clear that these unique accolades continue to thrill and inspire everyone involved with them. Melanie Hamer and her team again delivered an unforgettable evening, as they have every year since the turn of the century. Over the years, the Pf Awards have realigned according to change – recognising cultural shifts within a rapidly evolving industry. Embracing these changes has ensured that the awards remain the pinnacle of achievement in our industry, and perhaps explains why this year was the biggest, brightest and most brilliant Pf Awards ever. Comedian and actor Marcus Brigstocke oversaw proceedings with a masterful commentary on the challenges of living in modern Britain, targeting many of the audience in the process, before distributing the awards to their grateful recipients. The reaction of winners varied from
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triumphant cheers to stunned disbelief, but the one common theme was utter delight. History had witnessed that, for those taking one of the glorious trophies home, life will never be the same again. The pharma-based joy continued long into the night, helped along by a unique atmosphere, well-deserved cocktails and even some jazz. Needless to say, some were talking about what would happen next year.
C HA M PI O N S LE AG U E
T
he smiles on display during the Pf Awards Dinner perhaps belied exactly what participants had to go through in order to take their seat at the top table. ‘Assessment Day’ is not for the faint-hearted and has a well-deserved reputation for being one of the toughest challenges in the industry calendar. It is where candidates present the skills they use on a daily basis and allow them to be scrutinised, dissected and judged by a panel of independent healthcare and pharma experts.
This year’s day of reckoning took place at the King Power Stadium, home of reigning Premier League Champions, Leicester City. Indeed, as the patrons of that ground are discovering this season, there is absolutely nowhere to hide when the focus is on you. Your only choice is to come out fighting. With this considered, it was noticeable how many of our industry people were prepared to step up with confidence and lay everything on the line. GSK’s Kim Lafferty, winner of the Learning and Development Award, said: “We particularly enjoyed this year’s judges, the questions they asked and the level of intensity with which they listened to our story.” “The questions we had demonstrated the really high level of professionalism, and it was a great experience,” added Agnes Svilpaite, Bayer Pharmaceuticals’s Sales Team Award winner. Meanwhile, Rebecca Denny from Republic M! UK LTD, joint winner of the e-Representative Award, paid tribute to the competition. “It was even tougher than last year and I knew that I was up against a lot of good people.” Despite of the high levels of performance, there was also camaraderie among the candidates. “There was so much support from the different companies for each other,” reflected Secondary Care Specialist Award winner, Alison Duncan, from Abbvie Ltd. As they say, fortune favours the brave, but many of the 2017 winners will remember the nerves on Assessment Day as much as the relief when their names were finally announced.
WORDS BY
John Pinching
COVER STORY
“We particularly enjoyed this year’s judges, the questions they asked and the level of intensity with which they listened to our story.” Kim Lafferty, GSK, Learning and Development Award winner
Opposite page: Marcus Brigstocke in full flow; judges cast their eyes over candidates; deep concentration on Assessment Day. Clockwise from above left: Matt Lilley, Fiona Collins and Azrat Mirza from Celgene; the Forte UK team, with their winners Georgia Gray and Myles Hall; a hug for Ashfield’s Kathy Wadhams. Also, champagne (courtesy of QuintilesIMS), fine food and the stairway to success.
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COVER STORY
The story of the Pf Awards 2017 from a selection of winners and sponsors “This is the absolute pinnacle – the last few years I’ve been working in Germany for a pharmaceutical company but, in the UK, the level of expertise you need for this type of award is beyond belief.” Isidore Duru, Grünenthal Ltd, Sales Team Award sponsor
“I came away feeling like I’d been challenged – it was hard work but I enjoyed it.” Ben Clark, Astellas Pharma Ltd, New Account Manager Award winner
“I HAVE NEVER WON ANYTHING BEFORE. WE ARE JUST NURSES AND TO GET THIS IS AMAZING.” Kathy Wadhams, Ashfield, Clinical Nursing Award winner
“IT’S A DREAM COME TRUE – I’M REALLY PLEASED WITH MY ACHIEVEMENTS TONIGHT AND TO BE RECOGNISED IN FRONT OF INDUSTRY IS FANTASTIC.” Rob Turnbull, Thornton & Ross, Regional Manager Award winner
“Our industry and our customers are getting more and more challenged every day, so it’s great to have the opportunity to recognise people publicly for their efforts.” Steve Howson, Ferring Pharmaceuticals Limited, Secondary Care Specialist Award sponsor
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“This is the second year we’ve sponsored this event and to see another set of young, bright, enthusiastic people is just fabulous.” Colin Watson, Ashfield Commercial & Medical Services, Account Team Award sponsor
“It’s so fantastic to know that everything you’re doing is really worth it and to get an award at the end is just amazing.” Ashley Strong, Forte UK, Primary Care Specialist Award sponsor
“The real winners are the patients, who continue to benefit from new treatments, and are kept up to date as they come along.” Jo Underhill, Astellas Pharma Ltd, Experienced Account Manager sponsor
“I’M OVERWHELMED THAT IT’S BEEN RECOGNISED – THANK YOU SO MUCH.” Tracey Murphy, Coloplast Ltd, Acccount Project Award winner
“I’D LIKE TO INSPIRE OTHER PEOPLE TO GIVE IT A GO AS WELL NEXT YEAR.” Catherine Pollard, Abbvie Ltd, Medical Scientific Liaison Award winner
“The Pf Awards are critical in showing that individuals are making a huge difference to healthcare providers and patients across the UK.” Dr Priya Agrawal, MSD, Account Project Award sponsor
If you would like to take part next time, please go to pfawards.co.uk
The govENHANCE team brings together broad skills and experience in compliance training, and in the design, delivery and assurance of compliance processes, materials and services for pharmaceutical and med-tech companies. govENHANCE is uniquely positioned to support organisations wishing to ensure compliance with ABPI/ABHI Codes and those who wish to deliver sponsored and joint working services in partnership with the NHS and 3rd party providers.
ABPI/ABHI Compliance Services We don’t believe one size fits all when it comes to ABPI/ABHI compliance training. We tailor each programme to the services you deliver and the roles and seniority of the people in your team.
We can provide: • Compliance Workshops & Webinars • Reactive Remote Support • SOP/Document Creation • Review/Audit of Approval/Compliance systems.
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Pf AWARDS 2017 WINNER PROFILE:
Kashif Yaqoob, Primary Care Medical Representative with the Star Medical Syndicated Team, and Winner of the Primary Care Specialist Award. INTERVIEW BY
Amy Schofield
Congratulations Kashif! Tell us some more about yourself. I’ve always been really passionate about healthcare and patient care. After completing my Pharmaceutical Sales degree I joined NHS Direct as a Health Advisor, before moving into learning and development; mentoring, training new starters, and developing people before moving into management. I’d always had the ambition to become a medical rep, but it’s very challenging to get into the industry. I used all the resources I had, including contacting friends from university working in industry, and together with a good attitude and persistence, I got a foot in the door with another CSO. My mother first encouraged me to join the industry and she continues to encourage my persistence and commitment today!
Star’s future is bright
If you're a focussed and motivated people person who wants to progress in a supportive, open culture then we’d love to hear from you. Call 01628 581 240 | Submit your CV to solutions@starmedical.co.uk View Star’s latest opportunities online: www.starmedical.co.uk
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ADVERTORIAL What do you do at Star? I joined Star as a Medical Representative in 2016 – it wasn’t like a normal interview – they helped settle my nerves and their approach and encouragement helped me to perform well. My interviewers really convinced me that joining Star was the right move for my career too.
“I never take my foot off the pedal.” What gets you out of bed in the morning? I’m really passionate about patient care, healthcare and science, but I’m goal orientated and self-motivated, so I’m always working towards objectives I set myself. At first, what drove me in pharma was becoming ABPI qualified and learning my trade – by the end of the first six months I wanted to be totally clear on my position, how to be the best I could be at my job, and an expert on my product. Once I’d achieved that, I set my next goal. I never take my foot off the pedal. What has shaped your approach to your career? My father gave me a good piece of advice, and I really value his opinion: don’t try to run before you can walk. Take the small steps you need to prepare you for a role – I knew in the past I could probably get a job but I didn’t want there to be a gap between the role and my ability – I wanted to always be prepared to do the job well. And be flexible. I was once told I had the product knowledge but I had to be more flexible with my customers; try to work out what your customers need and take the conversation down that road. What advice would you give to a person entering the pharma sales industry? Use your resources and ask for help. You need to be a ‘people person’, to have the confidence to talk to anyone in the room, to learn from their experience, and ask for advice. Also, sit down and set your goals and embrace opportunities, stay focussed and enjoy it. It’s natural to get knockbacks but you just have to get back on the horse and don’t let it knock your confidence too much.
Professionally, where would you like to be in five years? I’d like to be an established RBM with Star – the culture is amazing and I really appreciate it – the grass really is bright and green here! Would you recommend entering the Pf Awards? It’s a huge opportunity to showcase your talent and any success you get is a massive confidence boost – it feels life changing. Even to be nominated, to reach finalist stage, that’s a real achievement. It’s a platform that provides national recognition; only positives can come from it so there’s no reason why you shouldn’t go for it. How did you find the Assessment Day? It was really nerve wracking. But when it came to the day itself I was too busy putting everything into action to be nervous. There was a great sense of camaraderie, with everyone motivating each other. Two colleagues from my team were also within the six top candidates shortlisted for the award and it was fantastic to share this experience with them. It was challenging, but I learned so much from the experience. Do you think working for Star supported your winning entry? Yes, 100%. With my previous employer I don’t think I’d have had the opportunity, and there are many opportunities to showcase your talent at Star. It has more of an open culture, which promotes confidence, everyone works well as a team where we’re achieving results together, and that really helped. I’m a people person and Star already promotes that sort of thing so I fit right in. I love the environment and the team – I put a lot of effort in but my manager and the environment has really helped me get where I am. What does the future hold for Star? The future is bright! All members of staff at every level seem really happy in their working lives and that makes it a lot easier to achieve success. Everyone’s focussed and motivated – in every meeting we go to we bump into senior management who have an open approach, and it’s because of that I think that Star will grow to its full potential. Hopefully my win will breed confidence in others that they can win. I’m not a miracle worker, I just work hard – and if you work hard in this environment you can be really successful. starmedical.co.uk
EXCEPTIONAL TALENT AT YOUR SERVICE Words by Carly Edwards, Brand Manager
Star’s new-generation syndicated model is working well. Our teams enjoy enhanced job satisfaction and development opportunities, while our clients benefit from innovative commercial solutions. “This is a genuine syndicated team that brings real value to each team member.” Star Syndicated Representative “The STAR business tool is a fantastic resource; I’ve been able to go into calls quickly with clear objectives. I am truly enjoying my experience with Star.” Star Syndicated Representative “Star are extremely focussed on the client as well as on their own people. The calibre of representatives provided has been exceptional – this appears to be the management team’s key priority.” Client Sales Manager There is a forthcoming opportunity to have your product promoted by this team. Call Star’s General Manager Lucy O’Neill to find out more on 01628 581 240 or email solutions@starmedical.co.uk
M AG A ZI N E | A PR I L 2017 | 13
OPINION
R
Found in translation David debates how far labels should lead us. WORDS BY
David Thorne
ACRONYM APPENDIX PACS: PRIMARY AND ACUTE CARE SYSTEMS MCP: MULTISPECIALTY COMMUNITY PROVIDER STP: SUSTAINABILITY AND TRANSFORMATION PLAN ACO: ACCOUNTABLE CARE ORGANISATION CCG: CLINICAL COMMISSIONING GROUP FT: FOUNDATION TRUST
ecently, I attended a meeting to discuss our fledgling new model of care – a colleague was reporting back after a convening of our Accountable Care Partnership Board, the previous week. This led to a frank interpretation concerning the ‘language’ of present times. Are we part of an accountable care organisation, partnership or system? What is the difference between our integrated model and being accountable? Can a PACS and an MCP exist in the same system? Can transactional tariffs and capitated budgets work in parallel? There’s much to get your head around. You’ve probably been in similar discussions. People are always asking me to draw an organogram of the local NHS – demonstrating the structure within an STP footprint, with a clear demarcation of its component ACOs, CCGs, FTs and GP federations. At the meeting, we concluded that ‘integrated’ models are probably those that evolve into ‘accountable’ ones and that the transition is marked by having one system of governance and financial control, whereas integration is ‘virtual teamwork’ of several distinct partners. In the final analysis, we all agreed it wasn’t worth debating, and that we needed to crack on with designing things that work for patients, regardless of the lexicon. The labels don’t actually matter. Concepts and acronyms are being used in an interchangeable way. Don’t try to put them into a structure – it doesn’t exist yet. Instead, understand where this is heading and what that means for your customers and your business.
“We need to crack on with designing things that work for patients, regardless of the lexicon. The labels don’t actually matter.” Anyone working in England is facing consistent certainties – like collaboration between NHS bodies and reduced internal competition. There will be consolidation and integration. ‘Payment by results’ will dwindle and eventually be replaced by unified or programme budgets. Meanwhile, CCGs will amalgamate, Commissioning Support Units will be absorbed into large CCGs and the emergence of ‘hospital chains’ are inevitable. Primary, community and secondary care will also join together to form real or virtual local care organisations, commissioned by CCG and local authority-combined bodies, similar in size to the old Primary Care Organisation clusters of 10 years ago. So, what can you do now? Well, how about identifying who is leading change locally, and the individuals who can act as validators to sort fact from rumour – they are much more likely to be a manager, not a clinician. You can also focus on what matters; draw a local map, then start with your hospital chain and its catchment area. I stand by my prediction that hospital chains will impact pharma more than the entire set of Lansley changes five years ago. David Thorne is Chair, Washington Community Healthcare and Non-Executive Director, City and Vale GP Alliance. Go to blueriverconsulting.co.uk
David Thorne presents ‘Accountable Care Organisations: Are these the future of healthcare?’ for Parallel Learning alongside expert speaker Michael Sobanja. Listen to the webinar on demand at parallellearning.co.uk
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F E AT U R E WORDS BY
Amy Schofield
Does putting the clock forward risk IVF failure? Don’t believe the hype: health headlines dissected TH E S TO RY
TH E R E S U LT S
Following winter, many of us welcome the extra hour of daylight when the clocks go forward in spring. A recently published study, however, looked at the effect of daylight savings time (DST – a similar system to British Summer Time) on pregnancy and pregnancy loss rates in women undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF). Cycles showed that rates of loss were significantly higher in spring. Could that extra hour actually be an unwelcome change for pregnant women, and if so, why? The secret may lie in the disruption to our natural circadian rhythms – the 24-hour ‘biological clock’ that all living beings abide by.
The researchers discovered that, although pregnancy loss rates were comparable between the two seasons (15.5%, 17.1%), women were significantly more likely to have a miscarriage (24.3%) if the clocks went forward within 21 days of an embryo being implanted.
TH E R E S E A RC H A group of U.S. researchers from Boston University School of Medicine and IVF New England, Massachusetts, conducted a retrospective analytic sample of 1654 patients at a single fertility centre, from 2009 to 2012. The sample included patients undergoing autologous IVF cycles prior to and during DST. The researchers looked at whether the shift into DST during the women’s treatment was associated with their likelihood of getting pregnant or their risk of miscarriage. Three study groups representing varied timings of DST, in relation to the embryo transfer date, were created. In the first group, DST occurred between day one of ovarian cycle stimulation and the day of embryo transfer. In the second, DST occurred within 21 days after embryo transfer while, in the control group, DST happened a minimum of 10 weeks after day one of the ovarian cycle stimulation.
TH E D E A L Previous research into the effect of DST has shown a link between a number of negative events, including an increase in the risk of heart attacks, strokes and a higher rate of fatal road traffic accidents. These events are primarily observed in spring, and may be linked to the anomaly caused by the artificial one-hour adjustment to time. It is not known why these things happen, but it is thought that natural ‘circadian neuroendocrine rhythms’ influence our physiology and behaviour. In turn, a fragile biological process, such as pregnancy, could also be influenced by the effect of DST. The study, however, only looked at a small group of women at one clinic – cause and effect has not been established. The researchers concluded: “Further investigation by prospective study is required before assuming that this association is causal, clinically significant or necessitates intervention”. Some of the headlines were misleading, failing to mention that the study involved women undergoing IVF, which could needlessly worry other pregnant women too.
W HAT TH E PR E S S SA I D : “Miscarriages for women on IVF ‘double when the clocks go forward’” Mail Online “Clock change linked to miscarriage” The Times; “Women who undergo IVF treatment within 21 days of clocks going forward are TWICE as likely to miscarry” Mirror.co.uk
SPRING
FORWARD, FALL BACK BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
1784 SUGGESTED THE IDEA OF DST IN
AS A WAY TO SAVE ON SUNLIGHT AND BURN FEWER CANDLES COUNTRIES INCLUDING
VENEZUELA, Kenya & Saudi Arabia DON’T ADJUST THEIR CLOCKS
BRITISH SUMMER TIME BEGINS ON THE LAST
Sunday of March
M AG A ZI N E | A PR I L 2017 | 15
PATIENT
T
he modern patient is here. The digital revolution has prompted the biggest communal reboot since 1948 and patients are increasingly likely to go online for access to health information, to liaise with communities and study treatment options. Consequently, self-care is on the rise – indeed, there are currently 500 million people worldwide accessing healthcare apps, while iTunes offers 43,000 health-based applications.
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Our panel of experts – from patient advocacy, health communications, support forums, healthcare solutions and big pharma – talk about the potential of the empowered patient to make decisions, take control and add essential input. They will also focus on the challenges that industry and wider healthcare face in providing worthwhile digital engagement.
GET SMART?
Too much time on smartphones has been linked to weight gain, sleep deprivation and depression, while too much reliance on information has caused misdiagnoses, dangerous approaches to self-care and an unwillingness to access ‘orthodox’ healthcare.
2.0
F E AT U R E
The digitally-savvy modern patient has truly arrived and industry must be ready. WORDS BY
John Pinching
C A S E S TU DY: B O E H R I N G E R I N G E LH E I M
E N G AG E M E NT PA RTI E S Rebecca Galbraith is Practice Area Head, Patient Support and Adherence at QuintilesIMS
A
goal of any patient-focused support programme is to engage patients, helping them to take action to improve their health; to be involved in decisions about their healthcare and have useful discussions with healthcare teams about the care they receive. With some groups – like younger patients, those with chronic illnesses and people with higher incomes – there is a strong trend towards increased engagement. The use of digital channels including mobile and wearables, to connect with patients, provides tailorable resources that can be incorporated into daily lives. These devices help track symptoms, encourage positive behaviours and improve adherence. There will be patient populations, however, who exhibit a lack of engagement, and may not be able to interact with digital tools. This could be due to demographics, symptomology or psychological challenges associated with their condition. Our experience shows that one size does not fit all patients. A multichannel programme, providing the right mix of both digital and in-person interactions with – for example, a nurse – can dramatically improve patient engagement.
TRU E LI V E S Marc Boutin is Chief Executive Officer of the American National Health Council
T
he digital era has simply accelerated a fundamental truth - and made it harder to ignore. Patients want to be listened to and have their say. They don’t want the development of health ‘solutions’ that do not meet their needs.
After decades of frustration, patients are taking to the digital arena, and this pressure is beginning to see results. The pharma industry has begun to make changes – for the benefit of both patients and companies. No matter how ‘good’ your product, it is useless if the patient doesn’t value it. The industry must co-create health solutions, not for patients, but with patients. Right from the start, we need to ask patients which outcomes matter most and base our approach on data. The National Health Council is a founding member of the global coalition ‘Patient Focused Medicines Development’ (PFMD) for that very reason. PFMD runs a crowdsourced online tool which aims to bring together diverse stakeholders – including patient organisations, industry and regulatory bodies – and embed the patient voice throughout the medicine lifecycle.
BREATHING NEW LIFE
B
oehringer Ingelheim has over 90 years of heritage in respiratory disease, having launched several treatments in areas of high unmet need. As part of its commitment it is looking ‘beyond the pill’ to provide platforms which support patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals. The patient activation campaign ‘Think. Act. Breathe’, for example, aims to help people with asthma to identify if they are still symptomatic and, therefore, at risk of an asthma attack. Go to thinkactbreathe.com Also, in light of the increasing global health burden of COPD, the company is running a COPD awareness campaign – ‘COPD Your Time to ACT is Now’. The goal is to help patients and the healthcare community to challenge management of the disease, giving patients the best chance of maintaining a good quality of life. Go to yourtimecopd.com Meanwhile, for healthcare professionals working with patients who have idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, inIPF.com is a global on-line portal, which provides resources on IPF diagnosis and management. Boehringer Ingelheim seeks continuous dialogue with patient advocacy groups to deepen our understanding of their needs and inform future developments. Our focus has always been on improving the quality of life of patients and, for us, delivering value through innovation means coming up with new and better ways to improve their health. Allan Hillgrove is a member of the Board of Managing Directors at Boehringer Ingelheim with responsibility for the Human Pharma Business Unit.
M AG A ZI N E | A PR I L 2017 | 17
F E AT U R E
WEB OF INTRIGUE
*
50% of the UK population self-diagnose online
75% SEARCH
THE WEB FOR HEALTH INFO
2% HAVE REPORTED a digital interaction with
THE NHS
96% OF GP
TH E I N FLU E N C E R S Emma Morton is Senior Media Strategist at Ruder Finn UK
M
odern patients research their condition online, where they can find the latest news on clinical trials, research and treatments. Numerous platforms now offer robust medical information and reliable advice, as well as support from those experiencing similar symptoms. Many value the experience of comparing their lives with fellow patients, detailing highs and lows. Our digital team at Ruder Finn have constantly monitored online consumer trends, observing that ‘influencers’ are one of the greatest changes to the healthcare landscape. Patients are frequently turning to posts made by ‘real people’ and medical experts for updates on treatments.
This reliance on the web means that industry needs clear digital strategies to consolidate their online presence. They must engage with patient groups and online influencers – whether they are peers, healthcare professionals or company voices – through appropriate channels. And, crucially, they should ensure their sites carry jargon-free medical information. Details such as product usage instructions and contraindications are vital as increasing numbers prefer to self-care, particularly for minor conditions. Strong visuals are a must for patient sites, with online images providing a clear picture of certain conditions.
“Reliance on the web means that industry needs clear digital strategies.” Public health communicators have long been aware that the young patients are more likely to look at their smart phones, rather than posters, and are developing campaigns with this in mind. As it grows stronger, on a daily basis, the impact of digital influencers needs to be explored in more depth by the pharmaceutical industry.
PRACTICES have digital clinical records
4% OFFER ONLINE patient access to records
90% of patients would use an online appointment **
13.7 MILLION PEOPLE IN EUROPE WILL USE A CONNECTED CARE SYSTEM BY 2019
*
Sourced by the Nuffield Trust **From a survey of 7,000 people
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E R A D E FI N I N G Deborah Wyatt is Founding Director of talkhealth Partnership Ltd.
T
here’s little doubt that the 21st century patient is very different to the 20th century patient of my era. Much has changed and technology has been the key driver. Today’s patient is more informed. The internet provides access to a wealth of information, enabling patients to better understand their condition. They talk with like-minded patients in online communities and engage across social media. They are open about their symptoms, share information and support each other. As for the future, research has shown that informed patients are more proactive in making decisions about their health, often leading to improved adherence and better health outcomes. Patients should be at the centre of what happens next. Pharma needs to engage with patients, providing them with what they want and need. At talkhealth we have helped thousands of patients to interact online with health professionals, charities, fellow patients and carers. This allows them to take control over decisions about their condition and approach their situation positively. There’s much talk about ‘patient centricity’. Now is the time for healthcare and pharma to involve them at the very start and the very heart of everything they do.
2017
SURVEY NOW OPEN
Pf People is the only dedicated annual survey in the UK pharma industry. The Perception, Motivation and Satisfaction Survey 2017 provides employers with a powerful understanding of their employees and a vital insight into the industry. To enter your personnel into the 2017 Pf People Survey, please call the sales team on 01462 476119 or email hello@pfpeople.co.uk.
PFPEOPLE .CO.UK
HAVE
YOUR SAY PFPEOPLE .CO.UK
POUR L'AMOUR DE LA PHARMA After 35 years in pharma, covering both sides of the equator, Merck’s former U.K. MD, David Garmon-Jones, has linked up with exciting French company MedDay.
INTERVIEW BY
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John Pinching
COFFEE BRE AK
avid has been round the healthcare and pharma blocks a few times but, even after several decades, he is still excited about the possibility of making a difference. What are you up to, David? I was approached by French company, MedDay Pharma, at the end of 2016, about an appealing project. They have discovered a promising treatment for progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). There are many treatments for relapsing remitting MS, but limited options for the progressive disease. We have recently started MedDay UK, recruiting a small number of talented people, and our product is going through the European Medicines Agency as we speak. Hopefully we’ll get our license soon. How did MedDay start? It was formed by Dr Frédéric Sedel who – as a leading neurologist specialising in metabolic diseases – realised there must be something more than inflammation at play in neurodegenerative diseases. He founded MedDay with Guillaume Brion, who is vastly experienced in drug development and clinical trials. The company brings a completely different approach, by targeting brain metabolism. What products is MedDay working on? We work in areas of unmet medical need, and the project I am most excited about is our product for progressive MS, which is still in clinical development. The results of the first clinical trial were promising, showing results in some patients that haven’t been seen before. Another Phase III trial is about to start, which has several sites in the UK. Why did you get involved? I was happy fulfilling a portfolio of roles, playing golf and enjoying a lower blood pressure, but when the approach came it was too good to turn down. The French are delightful – they are scientists with great experience in research and clinical development and they’re in it for the right reasons. My German colleague, Heike Neirmann, and I, have been brought in to develop the commercial side. What’s your role at Decideum? When I left Merck, Berkeley Greenwood – Decideum’s MD – asked me to become chairman of the
organisation. I have spent a year and a half working with them and they’ve got great expertise in market access and government affairs. It’s a company that backs youth and Alex Ledger (Deputy Managing Director at Decideum and Pf Magazine’s Political Correspondent) is a great example of that. They’re currently helping MedDay with its market access activities. You were with Merck for a very long time. Yes, when I joined Merck I was ‘Baldrick’ – I knew nothing and was straight out of uni. Being a rookie rep, ploughing a lonely furrow in South London, was a great education. That’s why I try to be supportive of people entering our industry – it gives you so many opportunities to develop. Pharma has an interesting relationship with medics, however, and you need to be able to take a blow or two to survive in this game. What happened next at Merck? I went into sales management, product management and eventually became managing director of the UK operation. I was always very proud of that, because it’s unusual to have somebody that goes from ‘carrying the bag’, to MD in the same organisation. Did that reflect your ruthless ambition? I’m not one of those people who stabs others in the back to reach the top! I always enjoyed focussing on the current job and, in my experience, if you do that effectively, the future takes care of itself. They clearly had a lot of faith in you. Merck is a great company and – in those days – the affiliates had a lot of autonomy, so you were able to do really interesting stuff. I went to Australia for five years and put Merck and Serono together there. I found myself in a new organisation 10,000 miles away from home and the locals didn’t have a clue who I was – it was great to help build up the business, almost from scratch. How did the Aussies react to an Englishman taking over? There was always banter around sport, but I found the Aussies to be very welcoming and willing to give you a fair go. If you were an arse, they’d tell you, but I like that approach. What was the main difference from an industry perspective? There are a lot of similarities regarding reimbursement and
they have exactly the same issues as we do around NICE. The systems, however, are simpler over there, because they are federal and everything happens in Canberra. When dealing with people they are also a little less cynical than us! Was it always your intention to have a career in pharma? My Dad was a GP, so I knew about industry. I was being interviewed for all sorts of sales position, after leaving university, but the medical rep role came with a fancy 1.3L Ford Escort, so who was I to resist?
“There are good examples of joint working, but there is still suspicion from the NHS about pharma, and a bit of ignorance from pharma about the NHS.” Was pharma in the 80s all champagne lunches and golf? Not for me! Going out for lunch with GPs definitely happened, but it’s been exaggerated. It was simply a way of getting time with them. Are the NHS and pharma gravitating towards each other? I spent two years as a Non-Exec Director at Bucks NHS trust, which was fascinating. There are good examples of joint working, but there is still suspicion from the NHS about pharma, and a bit of ignorance from pharma about the NHS. Industry wants too many simple answers – getting close and understanding their world is key. STPs are a good example of where pharma could help, but it needs a broader approach, which concentrates on disease management, rather than selling a widget. Which record would you choose for the soundtrack of your life? Something from Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon – ‘Us and them’. Splendid choice. What would be your last supper? A family barbeque, with a huge fillet steak and a nice bottle of Pinot Noir, from Australia. After that you can take me away, quite happily. Consider it done. Goodbye David. Bye John. Go to medday-pharma.com
M AG A ZI N E | A PR I L 2017 | 2 1
E VENTS & CONFERENCES
WEBINAR REPORT:
Making sense of the Five Year Forward View Parallel Learning’s second webinar addresses how pharma can support the NHS in how care is delivered. W O R D S B Y Amy Schofield
T
he performance of the NHS is firmly under the microscope, as increasing demand amplifies the already intense pressure on services. The second Parallel Learning webinar focussed on the NHS’s Five Year Forward View (5YFV) – the comprehensive strategy for the future of the NHS in England – asking what progress has been made. Originally published in October 2014, can the 5YFV deliver sustainable care, and how can pharma work with the NHS to deliver it?
In today’s population, however, at least one third of people are living with one long-term condition or more, while rising cohorts have multiple complex needs, which require complex care co-ordination. “The game-changing shift that we are looking at now is moving away from payment by results, to an arrangement which genuinely incentivises outcomes for patients and populations,” said Paul. “This has the potential to be one of the biggest drivers for change.”
TH E C HA LLE N G E S TH E O PP O RTU N ITI E S Guest speaker Paul Maubach presented delegates with an overview of the 5YFV, along with the key opportunities and challenges he sees arising from it. The original vision of the 5YFV was to address the quality, care and efficiency gaps across the NHS. Paul pinpointed where the biggest opportunities will arise from new care models and working differently. These included moving towards a more outcomesbased way of working, which began 15 years ago with the advent of payment by results.
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Paul set out the biggest challenges to the delivery of new care models. Notably, the complexities of governance and statutory responsibilities; the stress of managing change; bringing organisations together and cuts in social care and public health services. Paul proposed that for the 5YFV to work, the successful systems and organisations of the future will be ones that create a partnership way of working that supports staff in the community with patients and the public. This would require a different
culture which works with people in their own homes and communities. Chair Michael Sobanja pointed out that patients should expect the same level of service and outcomes wherever they are geographically. Paul responded by saying that there is a need for common dialogue with the public about which outcomes are the most important. “More work is needed around a shared vision; what are the standards we expect, and what are the standards that our public would expect? There could be some real benefit in national debate and dialogue to establish clear national standards.”
W HAT C A N PHA R MA D O? Given that such a large proportion of the population is now living with chronic conditions and multiple complex health needs, Michael asked Paul his view on what the pharmaceutical industry can do to support or work with the NHS. “One of the fantastic things about the pharma industry is that drugs are one of the most disruptive technologies we have, for example, where the introduction of new drugs results in a substantial change in the way care is delivered. The reason that more of us are living longer with a long-term condition is because of the success of the pharmaceutical industry in providing drugs that enable us to stably manage those conditions.” Paul pointed out the importance of pharma’s role in the delivery of a more efficient NHS. “The pharmaceutical industry has a tremendous amount to offer the NHS. Spending on prescribing is significant, so it is a substantial part of our resource and our options for intervention.” The webinar moved on to what the NHS might expect from the pharmaceutical industry, and how the NHS can better understand the potential of medicines to support people with their long–term conditions. According to Paul, the risk of these patients’ use of higher cost secondary health services reduces with the use of the ‘right drugs at the right time’, which could result in a reduction of need for more complex and costly care. “One of the things that the pharma industry is very good at is the evidence base. For the right compliance, the right conditions management, really enabling us to reduce avoidable demand elsewhere,” Paul said.
Paul explained how it all comes down to the individual and empowering them to better manage their own health and wellbeing. “There is a lot more that the pharma industry could do to work with the NHS in establishing common standards that we should be working towards. We need to ask how we more proactively support individuals to self–manage. If we’re going to have more sustainable care, we need to be able to do more to support the individual.”
“The game-changing shift that we are looking at now is moving away from payment by results, to an arrangement which genuinely incentivises outcomes for patients and populations.” Paul Maubach, Chief Executive Officer for Dudley CCG
10 A P R I L 2 017
New models of primary care provision What have we learned from previous and current reforms? Join Dr James Kingsland OBE as he reviews lessons learned from past primary care models.
Live Q&A with Dr James Kingsland OBE & Michael Sobanja
ADVANCE YOUR THINKING
PAUL MAUBACH Appointed as Chief Executive Officer for Dudley CCG in October 2012, Paul has over 25 years of NHS service, holding roles in Acute Healthcare, Strategic Health Authorities, Specialised Commissioning and Primary Care Trusts. He is also Accountable Officer for Walsall CCG.
The traditional division of primary care, hospitals and patient community services has become a barrier to coordinated patient care, and general practice is facing higher demand and pressures than ever before.
In this next webinar from Parallel Learning, Dr James Kingsland OBE reviews previous and current reforms – what can we learn from them? What does the future of primary care look like?
Book your place now: Expert speaker James Kingsland and Chair, Michael Sobanja discuss the impact of new models of primary care on pharma. Pf Magazine readers can claim an extra 20% discount with code Pf Mag20.
parallelle arning.co.uk Brought to you by Events4Healthcare
M AG A ZI N E | A PR I L 2017 | 2 3
E
mma McConnell has progressed from Associate Medical Writer to Scientific Director since joining Ashfield Healthcare Communications and is a great example of how quickly and how far you can progress if you have both talent and opportunity. Here Emma talks to us about what has driven her success and the tips she has picked up along the way.
How did you first find out about a career in healthcare communications? I really enjoyed the medical writing part of my PhD, so when I started to think about next steps, it was at the forefront of my mind. At the time it wasn’t easy finding out about a career in healthcare communications and I feel really lucky that, when I was researching, I came across Ashfield Healthcare Communications. They clearly saw something in me and offered me a job as an Associate Medical Writer. Ashfield is keen to spot new talent and attends lots of university open days and careers fairs to showcase what the company does and the different careers on offer. The ‘Associate Medical Writer Assessment Centres’ were launched because we witnessed so much bright talent that we wanted to introduce as many people as possible to a great career in industry. What keeps your job interesting? Firstly, the science – I love being one of the first to see the exciting new data and cutting-edge technologies that improves patients’ lives. Our writing teams work with pharmaceutical companies and healthcare professionals to communicate new scientific breakthroughs; turning complex scientific data into clear and accessible educational materials. Secondly, the variety – I work across multiple therapy areas, producing a variety of print and digital content. Finally, the people – I work
Emma McConnell, Scientific Director at Ashfield Healthcare Communications – part of UDG Healthcare plc – tells us how she has built a successful career which helps to improve patients’ lives.
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with a team of smart, dedicated, and fun people every day. As a Scientific Director, what has been particularly satisfying is working with our new Associate Medical Writers to help them develop their skills and build their own careers. What’s the most important thing you have learnt in your career so far? Working in healthcare communications, you’re not on your own, so ask lots of questions and ask for advice! People might think of a medical writer sitting alone in an office typing a manuscript. In reality, it’s the opposite! Working in healthcare communications at Ashfield is dynamic and fast-paced, and you’re often expected to be creative and innovative (as well as scientific), so there are exciting challenges. The best ideas can sometimes come after having a chat with your team and getting a fresh perspective. What does the future hold for you? I look forward to more exciting opportunities. There is always more to learn here! I don’t see any barriers to long-term career progression at Ashfield Healthcare Communications – for those who want to learn new skills and get the experience, there will always be opportunities. Being part of the wider Ashfield division also means that there’s scope to move into different areas and drive your career in the direction you want. The options are endless! What advice would you give to someone starting out? For prospective medical writers, or any role within healthcare communications, pick a company that will give you a broad range of projects and support your development. The Ashfield ‘Ask Career Experts’ panel at Ashfield Healthcare Communications is a great example. We want people to know all about the different options they have and be able to see what the future could have in store. Working somewhere that provides the right foundation and offers progression is essential.
ASHFIELD HEALTHCARE COMMUNICATIONS’ EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT ASHFIELD HEALTHCARE COMMUNICATIONS’ ‘PEOPLE FIRST’ APPROACH ENSURES THEY ATTRACT AND GROW THE VERY BEST TALENT. HERE’S HOW…
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With 23 multi-channel communications agencies and offices around the world, Ashfield Healthcare Communications is an exciting agency to be part of. To learn more please contact us via AHCrecruitment@ashfieldhealthcare.com.
M AG A ZI N E | A PR I L 2017 | 2 5
OPINION
T
Counter attack Does pharmacy in the community really have a future? WORDS BY
Deborah Evans
“Pharmacists and their teams must respond to close the gap in funding by becoming even more efficient in the dispensing process and finding new profitable revenue opportunities.”
2 6 | PH A R M A FI EL D.CO.U K
he community pharmacy sector in England is going through tough times. Over the last 15 months we have seen announcements of significant funding cuts, the imposition of those cuts after almost a year of ‘consultation’, two judicial reviews, publication of significant policy documents, access to Summary Care Records and implementation of a new Quality Payment Scheme and the NHS Urgent Medicine Supply Advanced Service. For contractors, NHS funding for December 2016 to March 2017 has fallen by an average of 12%, compared with 2015/16 levels, while a further reduction in 2017/18 will see funding levels from April 2017 drop by around 7.5% compared with 2015/16 levels. Additionally, local Government cuts have seen commissioning of some public health services, such as stop smoking assistance and NHS Health Checks, stall or cease altogether. The threat of ‘Amazon’ style dispensing services, new models of supply and further automation in the sector bring further threats. Pharmacists and their teams must respond to close the gap in funding by becoming even more efficient in the dispensing process and finding new profitable revenue opportunities. If not currently maxing out their Advanced Services, then this is the immediate place to focus, by increasing Medicines Use Reviews, New Medicine Services and Flu Vaccinations. They may also explore new private services, such as travel clinics and insurance health checks, as well as looking to grow the over-thecounter medicines business. Consumers want more information and faster service – the digital shopping age is coming to pharmacy and, as such, the customer experience becomes more important as pharmacy looks to retain patients. Does community pharmacy have a future? Richard Murray of the Kings Fund believes it does. He led the independent Community Pharmacy Clinical Services Review, commissioned by the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer. The report findings highlight opportunities for community pharmacies beyond being funded for the supply of medicines, including a wider role in supporting patients with long-term conditions, the provision of a minor ailments illness service and a wide range of public health services, as delivered by Healthy Living Pharmacies. Furthermore, there is a call for more pharmacists to become independent prescribers and the NHS has increased support for pharmacists working in and with GP practices. Pharmacy organisations have also set out the sector’s ambitions in the Community Pharmacy Forward View, which aims to radically enhance personalised care, support and wellbeing services that community pharmacies provide, in line with the Murray Review. Hasn’t this all been talked about before? It has, but with the funding crisis in the NHS, unprecedented demand, workforce numbers in general practice declining and frustrated patients unable to access their GP, the time is right for full integration of community pharmacy into the NHS. For the profession to achieve its full potential, there is an urgent need for pharmacy to engage and align with Sustainability and Transformation Plans and contribute to the ambitions in the NHS’s Five Year Forward View. The time has come to stop talking about the change required, and ensure full support for implementation. Deborah Evans is a Pharmacist, Board Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and Managing Director of The Tipping Point. Go to thetippingpoint.co.uk
OPINION
Data for the diary Pharma needs better data, but there are obstacles.
WORDS BY
Hassan Chaudhury
“There’s a fear of being taken to task by the national media for playing fast and loose with patient data, even for valuable projects, no matter how considered the approach.”
T
here is incredible potential in advanced healthcare analytics. Imagine a scenario where we can intervene to save a patient, just before a heart attack occurs, because of predictive modelling with ‘big data’ and ‘machine learning’. This kind of advance requires data. Not aggregated data in data tables, but rows upon rows, fields upon fields of clean, recent, suitably anonymised or pseudonymised (where data in identifiable fields are replaced with pseudonyms) data. Data with a longitudinal structure that can be linked to other datasets to add value – which may mean it must first be linked together before it is pseudonymised. Stay with me! That’s why Google’s ‘AI’ venture ‘DeepMind’ worked so hard to secure a partnership at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust late last year, to power the app for patients at risk of acute kidney injury. Access to vast amounts of granular, detailed healthcare data is exceptionally valuable. The question that has repeatedly arisen from this kind of endeavour is, ‘do we trust these kinds of organisations with patient
data?’ There’s clearly a perception problem. The care.data furore ended with the initiative closed down last year. Both DeepMind and the Royal Free came under fire for striking the deal, after concerns were raised about the sheer scale of data being analysed. Worse still, NHS organisations across the country speak in hushed tones of ‘The Daily Mail problem’ – the dilemma that while releasing data may have demonstrable benefit to patients, there’s a fear of being taken to task by the national media for playing fast and loose with patient data, even for valuable projects, no matter how considered the approach. A palpable lack of trust around industry accesses real world healthcare data for research presents a massive obstacle, both to innovation and proving the value of innovation within an outcomes-based framework. It means innovators and healthcare organisations have to dance around the issue, compromising on what data they work with, thereby stalling the future and the kind of advances we might all benefit from. The point is that the way DeepMind – and others like it – manage NHS data will have an impact on us all. We’re fortunate in the UK to have access to datasets like the Clinical Practice Research Datalink, but the Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy Dataset has already been interminably delayed and pharma has even more to lose if data access is restricted, especially now that NICE has introduced a £20 million limit on the cost of new drugs. There have been many discussions about the need for good governance around data, with technology that ensures security and transparency such as ‘blockchain’ (the technology that powers Bitcoin). The next step, however, must be about building trust so patients understand the value of allowing their healthcare data to be used for research, even industry-led research. Data analytics in life sciences offers huge promise and the consequences for innovation without it don’t bear thinking about. Hassan Chaudhury is a big data expert and Chief Commercial Officer at Health iQ Limited. Go to healthiq.co.uk
M AG A ZI N E | A PR I L 2017 | 2 7
Pound stretcher Vicky looks at the impact of a curious and controversial Spring Budget.
D
WORDS BY
Vicky Whitehead
2 8 | PH A R M A FI EL D.CO.U K
uring the Spring Budget, Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond announced an extra £2bn of funding for social care over the next three years, with the first £1bn ‘front-loaded’ between 2017/18. In his speech Hammond declared that “the social care funding package will deliver immediate benefit to the NHS, allowing it to re-focus on delivering the NHS England Forward View Plan”. Social care and healthcare are so inextricably linked that this isn’t exactly a controversial statement, but on one level the additional £2bn does seem to miss the point. The announcement acknowledges that the NHS is dependent on a functioning social care system, but doesn’t address the deeper problem; that health and social care are still deeply fragmented.
N OT M U C H FU N D To explain this better, let’s start by considering what the impact of the £2bn is likely to be. Research suggests that improving social care can help the NHS in two key ways. Firstly, it affects the ‘front door’ of hospitals. Carers UK reported last year that the reduced provision of local care and support services had contributed to a rise in A&E visits and hospital admissions. In fact – according to the Health and Social Care Information Centre – in the past five years, emergency hospital admissions of older people have risen by 18%. Secondly, and most demonstrably, it affects the ‘back door’ too. Hospitals have found themselves unable to discharge elderly patients – the biggest users of hospital care – due to a lack of social care places.
“The NHS is dependent on a functioning social care system, but doesn’t address the deeper problem; that health and social care are still deeply fragmented.”
POLITICS
“While the £2bn of extra social care funding is to be broadly welcomed – we also need to consider if this approach of investing a little here and a little there is really sustainable.”
BUDGET
In 2015, the National Audit Office found that 1.5 million bed days had been lost to delayed transfers of care. Quite simply there is nowhere to send elderly patients. That’s not to mention the long-term health impact, and the resultant costs to the NHS, of a delayed discharge. Monitor – the body that monitors NHS trusts – has highlighted that 10 days in a hospital bed for a healthy adult can have the equivalent impact of 10 years’ ageing on their fitness and mobility. So it is clear then that improving the funding for social care can vastly improve the situation for the wider NHS. The biggest problem may not actually be the amount pledged, however, but the way the Treasury and Chancellor are continuing to view the funding in budgetary silos.
CHANCELLOR’S
wrote in the BMJ that “if partnership is critical to improving health and wellbeing, and tackling health inequalities, then ringfencing the budget of one of the partners makes no sense” as it will “almost certainly trigger greater fragmentation”. National policy, like the Five Year Forward View (5YFV), acknowledges the need to integrate social care, community and healthcare, but the national budget itself, mandates division. The other problem is that the ring-fenced NHS budget encourages a focus on acute services and treating disease, rather than on public health, social care and preventing hospital admissions in the first place. Again, this is something the 5YFV has made a priority.
TA K I N G C HA N C E S P O U N D S A N D FE N C E The ring-fenced NHS budget is a familiar pledge. It represents the commitment of multiple governments to avoid returning to the crisis state of the ‘90s when Tony Blair memorably declared, “we have 14 days to save the NHS”, on his election run. But the promise has become a bit of ‘bait and switch’ – the ring-fence has masked the deep cuts to social care and public health. Social care funding has been falling in real terms since 2009, and the public health budget became a target after it was separated from the overall health budget in 2015. Nigel Edwards – Chief Executive of the Nuffield Trust – has said that the £1bn extra for social care funding next year was “only the sum that’s already been cut over the last five years”. The danger of this division between what is ring-fenced and what is not has been expertly made before, by David Hunter – Professor of Health and Policy Management at Durham University – who
While the £2bn of extra social care funding is to be broadly welcomed – even if it’s not quite as much as desired – we also need to consider if this approach of investing a little here and a little there is really sustainable. If the healthcare, social care and public health budget are approached as a whole, the Chancellor can only ensure resources are directed to where the ‘pay off’ will be highest. The 5YFV has urged integration, vanguard sites are test-driving combined budgets and last year Scotland brought together their health and social care services under one partnership arrangement for each area. Surely, it’s time the Chancellor did the same.
Vicky Whitehead is Head of Research at Decideum – the views expressed here are entirely her own. Go to decideum.com
PRICE
EXTRA
£2BN
roundly criticised by
THE KINGS FUND, THE NUFFIELD TRUST AND
the Health Foundation. ESTIMATED FUNDING GAP
by 2020 is
£22BN
*
£1.5bn a year would only deliver an extra
32,500 CARERS
*
INTERNATIONAL LONGEVITY CENTRE ESTIMATES THAT ENGLAND FACES A GAP OF
200,000 care workers by
2020 According to the Nuffield Trust
*
M AG A ZI N E | A PR I L 2017 | 2 9
TIME CATCHES UP
We’re all living longer, but dementia is casting a long shadow. WORDS BY
N
ow the leading cause of death in England and Wales, dementia is an increasingly prevalent threat to public health. While some treatments can help people to live with symptoms a little better, there are no treatments that slow or stop diseases like Alzheimer’s. Research, with a strong focus on drug discovery, is our only hope. Dementia is the biggest cause of death for UK women and the second biggest for men. Furthermore, the age-standardised mortality rate for dementia and Alzheimer’s has more than doubled over the last five years for both males and females. In 2015, 61,686 people died of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, which equates to 11.6% of all deaths. Among those aged 80 or over, dementia and Alzheimer’s accounted for 21.2% of fatalities among women and 13.7% of male deaths. Dr Matthew Norton, Director of Policy at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Dementia is our greatest challenge, but we are unable to offer the 850,000 people living with dementia a treatment to slow down or cure the diseases underlying their condition.”
Amy Schofield
FE E LI N G TH E S TR A I N
H O PE FO R TH E FUTU R E
Dementia is not only a terrible disease for sufferers and their loved ones to face, it is also a massive strain on the economy. According to Alzheimer’s Research UK, it costs the UK over £26bn each year, with this number expected to double over the next 25 years. Although investment in research is increasing, experts are concerned that it is not enough to keep up with intensifying demand. “Dementia research has been historically underfunded, particularly compared to other disease areas, and we must bridge this gap if we are to defeat it,” stated Dr Norton. “Recently there has been a greater focus on dementia, particularly with this Parliament committing to invest £300m in research. The £250m UK Dementia Research Institute (DRI) is also being established, bringing together worldleading expertise in biomedical, care, public health and translational dementia research. While we welcome this rise in support, the job is not done yet,” he added.
Recent setbacks in clinical trials for Alzheimer’s – including Merck’s decision to halt the trial of experimental drug, verubecestat, and the late-stage failure of Eli Lilly’s solanezumab – have not diminished hope of a treatment for dementia. “We must continue to push forward. It is now more important than ever to focus on a variety of approaches for drug development,” reflected Dr Norton. The neuroscience area of the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research (NIBR) is harnessing new technologies to build human models of neurological disease, and researchers are currently working on new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia. Meanwhile, scientists at the UCL Dementia Research Centre, a hub for clinical research into various forms of dementia, are focussing on identifying and understanding the disease processes that cause dementia and how best to support people with dementia and their families. Alzheimer’s Research UK is also supporting dementia research projects worth over £27 million in leading universities across the UK, including its pioneering DRI. “As the UK DRI takes shape, we are confident that the expertise being brought together will move us closer to finding a life-changing treatment, which will have a huge impact on our society,” explained Dr Norton. “Success will require a stepchange in commitment and ambition not just from government, but from charities and industry across the world. If we could delay onset of dementia by five years, this would result in 469,000 fewer people living with the condition by 2030.”
KN OW TH E SYM P TO M S Changes in vision
Memory loss
Hard to complete familiar tasks
Confusion of time and place
Social withdrawal
Changes in mood
3 0 | PH A R M A FI EL D.CO.U K
F E AT U R E
M
R ACH E L’ S STO RY
Reflections on a relative living with dementia
y Grandad was diagnosed with dementia 10 years ago at the age of 85. It was obvious that things hadn’t been right for a while – his behaviour was becoming erratic and the once quiet, gentle Grandad I knew started having aggressive episodes. My Grandad is now in Stage 6 of dementia and no longer knows who I am. Stage 7 is ‘final’. One of the scariest things about my Grandad’s dementia is trying to remember what he was like before. Sometimes I worry that I might forget. I do try to remind myself how lucky we are to have had the Grandad I once knew – the one who taught my Mum her love of literature and who would always sneak me a square of Cadbury’s chocolate from his secret stash.
“I hope that the government will increase their investment in finding a cure for dementia but, in the meantime, I would like to see more access to free care and services.” It’s been extremely difficult for my entire family, because there’s nothing we can do; there’s no way to slow it down. But we don’t let it defeat us and try and keep everything in perspective. For example, we’re fortunate that my Grandad’s care home is hugely supportive and the staff are wonderful. I think it’s important to ensure the right care is given to those suffering from dementia, but also that support is provided for loved ones. I hope that the government will increase their investment in finding a cure for dementia but, in the meantime, I would like to see more access to free care and services. I’m feeling hopeful for the future – I’m here fighting with Grandad.
Dementia research desperately needs volunteers. ‘Join dementia research’ is an initiative to help people with and without dementia register their interest. Go to joindementiaresearch.nihr.ac.uk
DEMENTIA
FACTS
1.
Dementia itself is not a disease – the word ‘dementia’ is an umbrella term for the symptoms caused by different diseases.
2.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, but other dementias include vascular and frontotemporal dementia.
3.
Dementia has a bigger impact on women – half a million women in the UK are now living with dementia.
4.
Research into the condition still only receives around 3% of the UK government’s medical research budget.
5.
Recent research has discovered that factors linked to dementia include loneliness, high blood sugar and protein in urine.
M AG A ZI N E | A PR I L 2017 | 3 1
P H A R M ATA L E N T
MOVERS & SHAKERS
NATHALIE MOLL
DR GOPALAN NARAYANAN
EFPIA has appointed Nathalie Moll as its new Director General. She was previously Secretary General of the European Association for Bioindustries. Speaking about her new role, Moll said: “I am delighted to be joining at a time when pharma innovation is having a dramatic effect on the lives of patients.”
Voisin Consulting Life Sciences (VCLS) has announced Dr Gopalan Narayanan as Vice-President, Disruptive Biologics. He previously worked at the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. “This enhances VCLS’s ability to support biotechnology companies,” said company founder, Dr Emmanuelle M. Voisin.
HYWEL DAY
Napp Pharmaceuticals Ltd has appointed Hywel Day as the new Managing Director of Napp Pharmaceuticals. Hywel joins Napp from Mundipharma BV in the Netherlands, where he was General Manager. His appointment marks a return to Napp where he previously held roles of increasing seniority, including the post of UK Sales Director. Day said: “Not only is Napp a company with a long heritage of providing innovative, high-quality medicines to patients, but it is also a great place to work.”
Pf’S GRADUATE OF THE MONTH In this new series, we feature an outstanding graduate who is making their mark in the industry. NAME: Abi Robertson COMPANY: Ashfield Healthcare Communications,
WHO’S GOING WHERE AND WHY THEY’RE GOING THERE. WORDS BY
Rachel Cresswell
3 2 | PH A R M A FI EL D.CO.U K
part of UDG Healthcare plc ROLE: Associate Medical Writer UNIVERSITY DEGREE: PhD in Cardiovascular Medicine ABI SAYS: “I am passionate about science and wanted to find a way to make a difference without staying in research. At Ashfield Healthcare Communications, I have found a career that gives me the opportunity to work across a variety of therapy areas beyond just the area of my PhD, and a chance to work across a diverse range of projects with new challenges every day.”
KNOW A RISING STAR WHO DESERVES A MENTION? RACHEL@PHARMAFIELD.CO.UK
HELEN PETTERSEN
The five Clinical Commissioning Groups in north central London have announced the appointment of Helen Pettersen as new Chief Officer and Accountable Officer. She has held a variety of senior executive posts in the NHS including Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive of NHS Islington. Pettersen said: “I will continue to build on the work to deliver improved and sustainable healthcare services that will also reduce inequalities for local people and communities.”
DR LEEONA GALLIGAN
Almac Diagnostics has appointed Dr Leeona Galligan to the position of Vice President, UK Operations. Leeona joined Almac Diagnostics in September 2009 as a Senior Scientist within its research and development department. “Leeona’s appointment recognises the significant contribution she has made to our business over the past eight years,” said Paul Harkin, Managing Director & President, Almac Diagnostics.
DR THOMAS J. LYNCH
Bristol-Myers Squibb has announced the appointment of Dr Thomas J. Lynch as Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer. He will step down from the Board of Directors of the company. Dr Lynch has more than 30 years of medical, management and leadership experience.
IN BRIEF
ED SMITH will be retiring
from his role as Chair of NHS Improvement in the summer. JOHNA NORTON of
Eli Lilly and Company was be promoted to Senior Vice President of Global Quality on April 1.
ANNA BAYLEY
Anna Bayley has been appointed Vice-President, Client Services at Ashfield Healthcare Communications, part of UDG Healthcare plc. She said, “This opens exciting opportunities to grow my skill set. I feel proud to work with such driven colleagues at Ashfield.”
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DR AKHTAR ASHFAQ has been
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GW Pharmaceuticals plc has announced the appointment of SCOTT GIACOBELLO as Chief Financial Officer.
M AG A ZI N E | A PR I L 2017 | 3 3
Q What do you do? I am currently managing the Hormone Replacement Therapy portfolio at Mylan UK, offering women a complete range of options to improve their quality of life through their menopause. I am responsible for developing and delivering on brand strategy, marketing plans and the financial objectives, as well as collaboratively working with all aspects of the business and supporting all sales functions. Q What does Mylan specialise in? Mylan is one of the largest generics and speciality pharmaceutical companies in the world, manufacturing and marketing more than 2700 different products to retail, wholesale, government and institutional customers. With a workforce of more than 35,000, we market our products in over 165 countries and territories. Mylan’s commercial presence in the UK includes branded medicines, hospital, generic and over-the-counter products.
Katie Sewards, Brand Manager at Mylan UK, on what it means to make a difference. INTERVIEW BY
Amy Schofield
3 4 | PH A R M A FI EL D.CO.U K
Q How did you get to the position you’re in today? I fell into the pharma world five years ago after joining a consumer advertising agency in Leeds and working on various healthcare projects. I was then asked to join their healthcare division in London and was heavily focussed on digital across a number of therapy areas. I was lucky enough to be offered an in-house marketing secondment with Boehringer Ingelheim, to deliver on a specific project. It was there that I got the taste for brand management and knew it was an area I wanted to pursue. I went on to join Boehringer’s sales team and carried out a primary and secondary care hybrid sales role, before joining Meda as a junior product manager. Mylan has just acquired Meda.
P H A R M ATA L E N T
“I had 12 months in a sales role and, during that time, I learnt more about the environment, NHS challenges and the reality facing pharma than I would have done in any other role.” Q What are your career highs and milestones? One of the things I am proud of is the diverse range of experience I have gained in the last few years. I’ve worked on consumer TV campaigns, award-winning digital initiatives, been part of a number one sales team and managed a product which has delivered strong growth. When I got into brand management I started as a junior, quickly proved myself and was promoted. More recently I presented at our sales conference and delivered the 2017 strategy to our integrated Meda/ Mylan team of over 100 people, ranging from sales representatives to senior management team members. Q What drives you? I am naturally a passionate and ambitious person, but one of the reasons I have stayed in pharma is the feeling of making a difference. I love hearing stories from customers about improving a patient’s quality of life and knowing I’ve had a small part in that. I’ve also used my experience to volunteer my time to a
women’s health charity over the past 12 months. Being part of a company such as Mylan – whose mission is to provide seven billion people with access to high-quality medicine – helps provide sense on a daily basis. So, in a way, I am very proud to provide better health for a better world. Q What’s the best piece of careers advice you’ve ever been given? While on secondment I was keen to get into a marketing role, but was advised to gain experience in sales before pursing any options. At the time this wasn’t what I wanted to hear, however, it turned out to be invaluable advice. I had 12 months in a sales role and, during that time, I learnt more about the environment, NHS challenges and the reality facing pharma than I would have done in any other role. I also managed to get my ABPI qualification in the process. Q How do you turn challenges into opportunities? A challenge gives you a starting block for transformation and new
“I believe that in order to be sustainable, companies need to be more innovative, adapt quickly and become healthcare partners who add value and solutions to the healthcare industry.”
avenues to pursue. I find that being honest and getting different perspectives from different people also helps. Q How do you see industry evolving in the future? The pharma industry is on a journey of change and the challenges which we face are only increasing. I believe that in order to be sustainable, companies need to be more innovative, adapt quickly and become healthcare partners who add value and solutions to the healthcare industry. I think this process will continue – we will have to be creative with our approaches and move away from traditional means of communication. Digital will be pivotal moving forward. Q Where would you like to be five years from now? Due to the integration, my career with Mylan is only just beginning and I am very excited about what that may look like. Ideally over the next few years I’d like to increase my brand management experience across a number of therapy areas and potentially branch out into a European or global role. Who knows what may be around the corner! Q What advice would you give to a person entering the pharma sales industry now? Embrace all opportunities because you don’t know where it may lead you. Believe in your products and talk to as many people as possible, because you never know what nuggets of information you could get. Ultimately, hard work always pays off. Go to mylan.co.uk
M AG A ZI N E | A PR I L 2017 | 3 5
E VENTS & CONFERENCES
Looking for a memorable venue for your next event or conference?
The Pf Venue Guide 2017 is your guide to selected venues for the healthcare and pharma industry. Read free online at issuu.com/pfmagazine IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MEETINGS INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
DEAR DIARY
Up-and-coming pharma events for your diary 12 M AY 2 017
10 A P R I L 2 017
DON'T MISS
A One Day Update on Gynaecology
New models of primary care provision. What have we learned from previous and current reforms?
‘A One Day Update on Gynaecology’ is an annual conference, featuring presentations from leading professionals in Women’s Health. The conference covers new and essential topics through interactive workshops, discussion groups and engaging presentations.
Join Dr James Kingsland OBE as he discusses new models of primary care provision and asks “what will the future look like?” as he and Chair Michael Sobanja assess what the learnings are from previous and current reforms. The webinar will also include a live Q&A.
A unique networking opportunity, fellow delegates will include Primary and secondary care GPs, GP registrars, practice nurses and sexual health doctors and nurses. Five hours of CPD will also be awarded to those attending.
Multiple booking discounts and annual packages are available for Parallel Learning webinars.
The conference is fast approaching and places are limited. Book your place now at events4healthcare.com/naps/conference to guarantee attendance.
CONTACT: 01462 476 120 or
This conference is organised by Events4Healthcare Ltd for The National Association for Premenstrual Syndrome (NAPS). WHERE: St Johns Hotel, Solihull WHO: The National Association
for Premenstrual Syndrome INFO: events4healthcare.com/naps/ conference CONTACT: 01462 476120 or enquiries@events4healthcare.com
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOUR VENUE FE ATURED? R ACHEL@PHARMAFIELD.CO.UK
3 6 | PH A R M A FI EL D.CO.U K
For more great events for your diary visit: pharmafield.co.uk/events
WHERE: Online webinar WHO: Parallel Learning INFO: parallellearning.co.uk
enquiries@parallellearning.co.uk
18 -19 M AY 2 017
Pharmaceutical Logistics SMi’s 11th Pharmaceutical Logistics Event will take place on 18-19 May 2017 in London. The two-day event will bring together leading movers and shakers within the pharmaceutical supply chain to discuss the latest regulatory developments, explore cost reduction and hear about other developments. Register at pharmaceutical-logistics.com/PField and use ‘Pharmafield100’ at checkout to save £100. WHERE: Copthorne Tara Hotel, London WHO: SMi Group INFO: smi-online.co.uk/pharmaceuticals/
uk/Pharmaceutical-Logistics CONTACT: 020 7827 6000 or events@smi-online.co.uk
UPCOMING E VENT WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT? R ACHEL@PHARMAFIELD.CO.UK
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