Pf Magazine August 2016 by E4H Ltd

August 2016 PHARMAFI E LD.CO.U K

A commitment to life

We are, each and every one of us, Kyowa Kirin For several years, ProStrakan has been a member of Kyowa Kirin, a Japan-based Pharmaceutical company. As part of its commitment to become a global pharmaceutical specialty organisation, Kyowa Kirin is harmonising all its affiliates across the globe, and so ProStrakan is now known as Kyowa Kirin.

For all enquiries please contact: Kyowa Kirin Ltd., Galabank Business Park, Galashiels TD1 1QH Tel: +44 (0) 1896 664 000 Web: www.kyowa-kirin.com Job Code: NPR/UK/0480 Date of preparation: May 2016

Our people are ‘Committed to Life’, truly challenging themselves every day to make medicines available to meet unmet medical needs of patients and their families. Our culture is one built on innovation, teamwork and ethics. Core to our continued success is developing talent that can flourish – not only on the challenges of today but also tomorrow.

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 SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR

Hazel Lodge hazel@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.co.uk @newpfmag @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. 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).

Letter from the Editor

ome people wore expressions like a character from Edward Munch’s worst nightmare, others placed an extra can of beans in their basket as if to prepare for the apocalypse and a few leapt like salmons (British salmons, naturally) and punched EU-free air for the first time since 1975. I am, personally, rather pragmatic about the situation in which we find ourselves. The sun still rose on June 25, the kettle still boiled and David Dimbleby was still sitting defiantly behind his desk. Go home, David, go home. Many, many things won’t change. Take a chill pill, everyone (I think most pharma companies are currently working on one, by the way). I don’t believe that our country is anti-immigration. Yes, there are a few small-minded bigots that get rounded up for broadcasting purposes, but I think our exit from the EU was simply a reaction to decades of murky politics and dreadful, egotistical leadership. The combined gases emitted by Thatcher, Blair and Cameron finally ignited in a gargantuan cloud of fed-up-ism. In terms of opportunities for a more globalised community, the example set by pharma represents what is possible. The UK is and will remain a well-respected bedrock of research and development, while collaborations between ‘us’ and European countries, commonwealth nations, the Americas and throughout the Southern Hemisphere are all continuing as we speak. Meanwhile, after the atrocities carried out in Orlando on the LGBT community, the continued loss of life as innocent children flee war-torn countries, the tragedy of a truly decent MP killed doing her job and the uncertainty some feel due to our exit from the EU, we must now all become members of the solidarity, peace and humanitarianism union. We don’t actually need treaties or special handshakes or flags – we just need to be ourselves. Au revoir,

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.

HAVE AN OPINION ON SOMETHING YOU ' VE RE AD IN P f MAGA ZINE? @NewPfMag

M AG A ZI N E | AU G U S T 2016 | 1

MAGAZINE

Contents Pharma companies have – through a rather complex set of moral and regulatory reasons – resisted the opportunity to make their products excite, interact or even talk to consumers. Cover story, page 8

Pills, patients, prognosis and plenty of pontification about policy

Claudia Rubin navigates the post-EU landscape, so you don’t have to

It’s time we started to tailor treatment for the individual rather than the masses

N E WS

F E AT U R E

COFFEE BREAK

Could prescription medicine box design have a positive impact on patients?

JP escapes the mainland for a chat with an Isle of Wight special services luminary

10 OPINION

A new breed of modern pharmacists have arrived, but what can they bring?

11 F E AT U R E

More of the media’s medical mistakes are detected, dissected and rejected

2 | PH A R M A FI EL D.CO. U K

F E AT U R E

23 F E AT U R E

A jaunt down memory lane to discover what a past Pf Award winner is up to

F E AT U R E

P H A R M A TA L E N T

Dr Helen Webberley on why GPs need to get with the transgender programme

Pharma and its vast cavalry never stop moving as this so clearly demonstrates

18 OPINION

Henry says goodbye to Dave, while also getting philosophical about his own life

26 F E AT U R E

We talk to one of the bright lights at Roche about the company’s enduring success

NEWS ZIK A VIRUS

CANCER.

CELL of the CENTURY

esearchers have identified a new signalling pathway that enables cancer cells to survive despite the low oxygen levels found inside tumours. This is according to the results of a study led by researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center. Human cells require oxygen to thrive, however, and cancer cells survive even when deprived of it. The abnormal and rapid cell growth seen in many solid tumours causes them to outgrow their blood supply, leaving some cells with little oxygen (hypoxia). When faced with it, cancer cells change their gene expression to turn off all but the most vital oxygen-using processes. The researchers found that signals sent by the enzyme protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) work in a previously unknown way to shut down oxygen-using processes in breast cancer cells deprived of oxygen, therefore enabling their survival.

PTP1B is the hallmark member of a group of enzymes that take a phosphate group away from biomolecules to turn processes – including cell growth – on or off. In the new research, the scientists found that PTP1B controls the response of tumours in hypoxia by regulating the protein RNF213, which in in turn suppresses oxygen consumption through enzymes. These enzymes use oxygen, vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and iron to catalyse a number of reactions. Dr Benjamin Neel, PhD, director of the Perlmutter Cancer Center, said: “Our results, by yielding a new understanding of cancer cell response to hypoxia, will hopefully enable the design of future treatments that drive such cells into low-oxygen environments, and then take away their ability to survive these conditions.”

Sanofi Pasteur steal march on Zika vaccine Sanofi and its vaccines global business unit, Sanofi Pasteur, have entered a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) on the co-development of a Zika vaccine candidate. Under the terms of the agreement, WRAIR will transfer its Zika purified inactivated virus (ZPIV) vaccine technology to Sanofi Pasteur. The agreement also includes Sanofi Pasteur’s production of clinical material in compliance with current GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) to support phase II testing, optimisation of the upstream process to improve production yields and characterisation of the vaccine product. Sanofi Pasteur will also create a clinical development and regulatory strategy. David Loew, Executive Vice President, Head of Sanofi Pasteur, said: “We are looking at other pathways to get a Zika vaccine into the clinic as soon as possible. Therefore, this exciting collaboration with the WRAIR creates the opportunity to rapidly move forward.”

DRUGS

Humira nails it AbbVie has reported new clinical trial data demonstrating the benefits of Humira in the treatment of fingernail psoriasis. The phase III trial results showed that nearly half of adult patients, with moderate to severe psoriasis – who were treated with Humira – achieved an improvement in their condition of at least 75% compared to placebo. The findings demonstrating the safety and efficacy of Humira were presented at the annual congress of the Psoriasis International Network in Paris. Up to 55% of people suffering from psoriasis – and up to 70% of people living with psoriatic arthritis – also have fingernail psoriasis, which causes deformation, pitting, thickening, discolouration and separation of the fingernail from the nail bed. Humira currently treats over 989,000 patients worldwide across 14 globally approved indications.

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BAC K T WE ET THE WORD ON CYBER STREET SOMETHING TO SAY? @NewPfMag

I was a JSA claimant @ ‫ ‏‬imajsaclaimant

Minutes after the #BrexitVote Nigel Farage says the £350 million pledge to fund NHS was ‘a mistake’ #EURefResults Max @MaxyPi

Whilst I am not enthused about #Brexit, the NHS was not a EU creation, it was around in UK long before we joined EU Aaron Bastani @AaronBastani

Anti-war, ex pharma lobbyist @OwenSmith_MP goes to, er, an arms dealer dinner Katie Barden @BardenKatie

Many midsized pharma companies utilize social media more effectively than the largest competitors Harry Leslie Smith ‫@‏‬Harryslaststand

Let’s be clear #TheresaMay isn’t forming a new government just re arranging the chairs on a gov’t that gutted social services and the NHS. Selen Yersu Şahin ‫@‏‬SelenYersuSahin

UK PM Theresa May: National competition law may need changes to protect certain industries (energy, banking, pharma) from foreign takeovers.

M I L E S TO N E S I N S C I E N C E

Wonder women Four of the country’s finest female scientists have won the first Chief Scientific Officer’s (CSO) ‘Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Fellowship’ scheme, NHS England has announced. The competition – launched in conjunction with international women’s day in March 2016 – received 60 applicants from female healthcare scientists, who will now act as role models to inspire the next generation. The Chief Scientific Officer’s WISE Fellowship Programme is a bespoke 12-month initiative, launched in partnership with WISE – the campaign to promote women in science, technology and engineering. The winners are: Dr Kathryn Harris, a Clinical Scientist at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children; Sandra Chinyere, a Clinical Service Manager at Ashford & St. Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Michelle Martin, a Training Manager at Barts Health NHS Trust and Dr Charlotte Kemp, Head of Clinical Measurement at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The scheme received such a high quality of applications that an additional one-day leadership development opportunity will also be open to all applicants. Professor Sue Hill OBE, Chief Scientific Officer for England, said: “We have been working with WISE to create this unique fellowship scheme and support the aim of getting one million more women working in the UK science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) workforce.”

Theresa May ‫@‏‬theresa_may

TM: “The country voted to leave the EU, and as Prime Minister I will make sure we leave the EU” #TM4PM Dr Helen Webberley ‫‏‬ @MyWebDoctorUK

There is a real need for compassionate medical care for the transgender community. #gendergp aims to provide that care

4 | PH A R M A FI EL D.CO. U K

DRUGS

straZeneca has entered into an agreement with dermatology care specialists, LEO Pharma, for the global licence to tralokinumab, exclusively in skin disease areas. The therapy is an anti-IL-13 monoclonal antibody that has completed a Phase IIb trial for the treatment of patients with atopic dermatitis - an inflammatory skin disease resulting in itchy, red, swollen and cracked skin. Under the terms of the agreement, LEO Pharma will make an upfront payment to

AstraZeneca of $115 million for the exclusive global rights. LEO Pharma will also pay AstraZeneca up to $1 billion in commerciallyrelated milestones and up to mid-teen tiered percentage royalties on product sales. AstraZeneca, meanwhile, will manufacture and supply tralokinumab to LEO Pharma. The new medicine is also in Phase III development for patients with severe asthma. AstraZeneca will retain all rights to tralokinumab in respiratory disease and any other indications outside of dermatology.

NEWS

T U B E R C U LO S I S .

TWO TEAM UP TO TACKLE TB P F AWA R D S

Facelift for leading UK pharma sales awards Events 4 Healthcare, the company behind the largest sales awards in the UK pharmaceutical industry, has launched its new, redesigned website, pfawards.co.uk The site’s refreshed, rebranded look, combined with enhanced user-friendly content and optimisation for mobile devices, allows quick and easy access to essential information about entering the Pf Awards. Furthermore, promotional areas within the website provide the opportunity to feature award categories, support companies in the application process, highlight key dates and include links to post-event brochures where you can find out all about previous winners. Events 4 Healthcare’s Managing Director Melanie Hamer said: “We are excited about our new brand, the website launch and the robust information it provides for candidates, sponsors and the companies involved. “The Pf Awards are in their seventeenth year, and the rebrand reflects the status that the awards now attract. They recognise success and reward those in the industry who work tirelessly to achieve excellence in their field. The new site will allow our visitors to have an enhanced and informative experience of the Pf Awards.” Interested parties can explore the website, read the award categories and sign up for the awards at pfawards.co.uk

he Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (TB Alliance) and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company have entered into a joint TB research programme. The agreement further explores hits generated from a high-throughput screening programme conducted to find novel compounds to improve the treatment of tuberculosis (TB). The joint research programme is funded through the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund, established for the purpose of promoting the research and development of pharmaceutical products, vaccines and diagnostics needed for communicable diseases. Initially, TB Alliance and Takeda conducted a programme to screen Takeda’s library of 20,000 proprietary compounds. This aimed to identify potential candidates that could become new TB treatments. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 9.6 million people were infected with TB in 2014. In the same year, 1.5 million people died of the disease, with 95% of them living in low-to middle-income countries. New TB drugs and regimens that are simpler to administer, and can overcome drug resistance, are urgently needed in the future.

T EC H N O LO GY

App to feature tumour terminating demos Scientists from Cancer Research UK have launched a new app for smartphones and tablets that shows how some cancer treatments work. The ‘Tumour Takedown’ app – developed in collaboration with Centre of the Cell – allows the public to test out three different cancer therapies, on a virtual tumour, to see how these treatments stimulate the immune system in order to destroy cancer cells. Processes involved with CAR-T cell therapy, immune checkpoint therapy and macrophage therapy are all included. The app, unveiled at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition, is inspired by attempts by the research team to build artificial human tumours in the laboratory. The scientists hope that the new techniques they are developing will give them a better way of testing new immunotherapies similar to those featured in the app.

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DRUGS.

PREP TALK PUTS PRESSURE ON NHS ENGLAND

t is time for NHS England to “do the right thing” and fund preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention, according to two senior public health doctors. Directors of public health Jim McManus and Dominic Harrison state that NHS England has declined to make PrEP available on the NHS, arguing that HIV prevention is the responsibility of local government. This is the case despite overwhelming evidence that PrEP against HIV infection is largely safe, effective and a relatively low-cost solution.

PrEP is a once-daily pill that is taken by those who don’t have HIV, but who are at very high risk of getting it. Studies have demonstrated that when used consistently PrEP can reduce the risk of getting HIV from sex by over 90%. Writing in The BMJ, the doctors say that the approach by NHS England “confounds its advocacy of a health and care system integrated around the best outcomes for the citizen, and perpetuates an incoherent national approach to HIV prevention.”

DRUGS

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

Head start for new Alzheimer’s drug

lzheimer’s disease trials at Plymouth’s Science Park could lead to the first new treatment for the condition in 14 years. The MINDSET study at Re:Cognition Health will analyse a new Alzheimer’s drug, currently known as RVT-101. The therapy shows evidence of helping Alzheimer’s patients by enhancing their cognition. The last drug to be approved to help improve this critical aspect was Donepezil in 2002. Dr Stephen Pearson, clinical director at Re:Cognition Health, said that there is positive evidence that the drug trials will be successful.

6 | PH A R M A FI EL D.CO. U K

Dr Pearson has been working on clinical trials for Alzheimer’s for nine years. He adds that trial participants should not expect RVT-101 to bring back lost memories, however, it could improve mental functions impaired by the disease, such as the patient’s ability to interact and their attention levels. Participants will visit the centre eight times in a year to assess their progress, using a range of blood tests, heart tracing, ECGs, or cognitive testing. The Re:Cognition Health team hope to find a cure for dementia within 10 years.

Positive opinion for MSD’s lung cancer drug The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency has adopted a positive opinion recommending approval of MSD’s KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab). The therapy has been developed for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic nonsmall cell lung cancer, for use in adults whose tumours express PD-L1, and who have received at least one prior chemotherapy regimen. It will now be reviewed by the European Commission for marketing authorisation in the European Union. Data supporting the CHMP positive opinion were based on findings from two studies – KEYNOTE-010, a pivotal study assessing overall survival, and KEYNOTE-001, which assessed overall response rates. A final decision regarding the approval of KEYTRUDA® monotherapy is expected from the EC in the third-quarter of 2016.

NEWS

EUROVISION: We get reactions from across pharma as the UK bids farewell to the EU forever

D E B O R A H W YAT T Director, talkhealth The pharma industry has been quick to react despite, historically, being largely immune from the effects of economic turmoil – people will always need medicines and lifesaving drugs. The referendum, however, has increased concern over the future of industry, and the NHS, as it struggles to deliver services and balance the books. Medics, and those involved in life sciences, fear Brexit will have a negative impact in the long term. The EU has provided the UK with access to funds from programmes such as Horizon 2020. With these funds potentially disappearing, where will future funding come from? Brexit has left the industry with much to ponder, many unanswered questions and an unpredictable future.

DRUGS.

MS-express

A N DY WA ITO N Marketing Director & Head of The Excel Academy June 24, many have said, should be known as our own ‘Independence Day’! On the morning of June 25 the offices of Excel Communications were not celebratory. Nobody in the office voted for Brexit and I can honestly say that I don’t know anyone who did. Words that came to mind were ‘sad’, ‘disappointed’, ‘angry’ and, above all – ‘how’ and ‘why’? In the short term I don’t think much will change with our business, but we just don’t know. Our business has become increasingly European and global, so we do worry about the fallout. When it comes to the pharma industry I don’t think it will be adversely affected, but won’t the CEOs of big pharma think twice about where they invest – will they choose a country outside the EU?

E M M A M O R TO N Senior Media Strategist, Ruder Finn UK pharma beamed a bold ‘open as usual’ media message following Brexit. Here at Ruder Finn UK, we don’t see this as a smokescreen to allay investor concerns but, instead, a confident industry’s response to shifting sands. Britain’s pharmaceutical companies are truly global-facing. They can use the spotlight to renew commitments to innovation and tell the world about their research pipelines across every channel. It's also a chance to remind the nation that our medicines and the knowledge of our home-grown scientists are in demand throughout Asia, Africa and the Americas. Brexit may increase drug trial and manufacturing cost, for a period of time, so strong internal communications are vital for firms to maintain workforce and market confidence.

iogen and AbbVie have been given European regulatory approval for Zinbryta, their new once-monthly therapy for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The self-administered subcutaneous injection therapy has been granted marketing authorisation by the European Commission for the treatment of adult patients, based on its positive performance in clinical trials. Phase IIb SELECT and phase III DECIDE studies, involving approximately 2400 patients, were used to support the European Commission approval. DECIDE represents the largest and longest head-to-head phase III study ever conducted into the progressive disease. Zinbryta was shown to significantly reduce multiple measures of disease activity in patients with relapsing forms of MS, without causing any prolonged depletion of studied immune cell types. Dr Alfred Sandrock, executive vice-president and chief medical officer at Biogen, said: “It is important that people living with the disease have treatment choices to address their diverse and evolving needs.”

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MAKING A PACKET

Why the human spirit must be reflected by pharmaceutical drug packaging

WORDS BY

John Pinching I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y

Alex Buccheri

8 | PH A R M A FI EL D.CO.U K

here is a suggestion of communism in the way prescription drugs are packaged. Apart from the odd conservative flourish, like a coloured line, our life-saving pharmaceuticals arrive in steadfastly plain and, invariably, white boxes. Whether it’s Erythrocin, Viagra, Tenormin or Pioglitazone, you will always get roughly the same container – the blandness only punctuated by the product’s name and a smattering of Braille. In a way, it is a corner of our lives that will forever

COVER STORY remain ‘East Germany’, where eggs and shoes and Beatles’ albums were packaged in much the same way. This stripped back style even became the focus of a Damien Hirst series of artworks. These were created by exponentially increasing the dimensions of the package facade, replacing the product names with items of food such as ‘Chicken’ and exhibiting the results on a gallery wall. Perhaps this was a clever study of how pharma products have become so omnipresent in our lives that we barely notice them, or that drugs are now as readily consumable as everyday groceries. Alas, I think this was simply an example of Hirst’s own addiction to selling arbitrary art for obscene sums of money – somewhat ironically in this case, given the criticism aimed at pharma. Curiously, the design situation in terms of prescription therapies is in stark contrast to ‘off the shelf’ medication, which appears to have licence to use all manner of glowing organs and pain-expunging go-faster stripes on which friendly headache-crusading capsules glide. One might suggest that the more useless the product, the broader the brush strokes on the associated container. I defy anyone to have experienced relief from a cough medicine, and yet these are among the most flamboyant vessels on the high street – according to the label your windpipe will be draped in a phlegm-consuming ultraviolet blanket and your hack will soon be history. Hogwash – quite literally.

Pharma companies have resisted the opportunity to make their products excite, interact or even talk to consumers. I do think, however, that pharma companies have – through a rather complex set of moral and regulatory reasons – resisted the opportunity to make their products excite, interact or even talk to consumers. I do, however, understand why classic simplicity has been the chosen exterior for so long – in the UK there has been a reticence when it comes to celebrating drugs, as accusations of illicit glorifying hang over pharma like a guillotine. Consequently, industry has had to retreat into an extreme Britishness where cutting edge, disease-curing science is condemned to a white box for eternity.

Between the lines

n spite of pharma’s cautiousness, the government’s stance on how pharma should be presented, could be navigated. I’m not expecting pharmacists to fire antibiotics out of a cannon, or your dose to be announced by the voice of Tom Hanks, but surely, the appearance of boxes could at least engender hope or excitement or even human spirit. All the scientific wizardry and creative zeal that goes into the development of a drug grinds to a halt at the packaging treadmill. This habit is unique to our industry – theoretically nothing needs to have a glorious exterior. Cars and buildings could all finish up as white boxes – but the architects of those products want their invention to uplift consumers. So why are the same principles not applied to pharmaceuticals? The government document which provides guidance on the packaging of medicines is called Best Practice Guidance on the Labelling and Packaging of Medicines. How plain a box should be is not as dominating as you might think. It appears in item 4.3, thus: ‘Consideration should be given to the line-spacing and use of white space to enhance the legibility’. The point made in 4.5, however, hints at the reason for pharma’s reticence: ‘The labelling of packs intended for supply against a prescription should include space for the placement of the dispensing label. It is recommended that this should be a blank white space.’ ‘Recommended’ – that doesn’t constitute a direct order. You don’t cure cancer because you listen to every recommendation. The point I am keenest to digest, however, is the tuna mayo, the BLT, the – if you will – cheese and pickle between 4.3 and 4.5. Yes, I’m talking about 4.4 – the optimistic filling between two slices of white. It states: ‘Innovative pack design that may incorporate the judicious use of colour is to be encouraged to ensure accurate identification of the medicine.’ Woah! If that’s not a blatant invitation for pharma marketers to somersault

into a loop hole, I don’t know what is. It continues: ‘The primary aim of innovative design of packaging is to aid in the identification and selection of the medicine.’

Surely the appearance of boxes could at least engender hope or excitement or even the human spirit. I would venture to suggest that almost all drug packages are entirely indistinguishable, and that the opportunities clearly stipulated in 4.4 have been ignored due to the ‘insurmountable’ obstacles posed by 4.3 and 4.5. We’re talking about multi-national companies, surely with a little reinterpretation, some origami and the drive to optimise patient experience, drug companies can waltz confidently into 4.4’s unchartered pastures. I am convinced that drug boxes featuring scenes from Star Wars would considerably enhance the mission of picking up a prescription. And, if you don’t think George Lucas would be up for that – think again. The whole Jedi ethos is about combining technology with the possibilities of the mind. It could even yield an interactive online game featuring our favourite characters attacking disease. How about using album covers to decorate boxes or linking them to a sporting event. Perhaps every time a patient punctures a blister pack it could activate ‘crowds cheering.’ The possibilities are endless. If I was ill and I went to pick up a box saying ‘may the force be with you’, would I feel motivated – hell yeah! Tackling illness doesn’t have to be about ‘get drug, take drug, get better’ – it has to involve the human spirit and, if that results in a 1% increase in efficacy, it has to be worth it. It’s time to start thinking outside the white box.

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OPINION

It’s about creating a new breed of confident, multifaceted pharmacists that galvanise their community.

Generation game Lucy ushers in a new breed of game-changing pharmacists WORDS BY

Lucy Morton

10 | PH A R M A FI EL D.CO.U K

t is that time of year when we have an influx of newly-qualified pharmacists working within our hospitals and community pharmacies – all passionately hoping to make a difference to thousands of lives over the course of their careers. I hope that every new pharmacist had an exciting, enlightening and well-supported pre-registration year, in whichever business or pharmacy sector they chose to work. It is also good to welcome all those trainee pharmacists fresh out of university, who are just beginning their pre-registration year. These individuals are masters of their own destiny and what they get out of their preregistration year will only be as good as what they put in. It is a moral code that resonates throughout healthcare. They need to ask lots of questions and volunteer for all manner of opportunities, while building up local relationships with other healthcare professionals. Introducing themselves to local GP surgeries, and drug and alcohol teams, and explaining how pharmacies can support their goals, is a really bold step in showcasing the possibilities of pharmacy in the wider community. Pharmacy managers will be very grateful if new recruits can secure additional prescriptions or more substance misuse clients. It will also build up pharmacist confidence in communicating, which is key to being an exceptional pharmacist.

Ultimately it’s about creating a new breed of confident, multifaceted pharmacists that galvanise their community. Time waits for no man and we have already started interviewing for our 2017–18 preregistration training year and had some exceptional candidates among them. At Superdrug we only take around 40 trainee pharmacists, so that we can ensure they are given ample and individualised support. We run a year-long program, which is structured in such a way that all our trainee pharmacists – from all corners of the country – meet up for a one week residential, every three months. This allows them step out from the pharmacy counter and concentrate on their development and training plan. Activities include inhaler technique training to support respiratory MURs, law and ethics lectures and practical workshops such as ‘how to measure and fit a stocking’ and accredited first aid training. If anyone is interested in pharmacist job opportunities go to superdrug.jobs or sign up to work as a locum for us at venloc.co.uk/superdrug Lucy is Clinical Governance Manager at Superdrug. Please note, these are Lucy’s personal views and do not necessarily reflect those of the Superdrug business.

F E AT U R E WORDS BY

Amy Schofield

Can Viagra keep your ticker going? Don’t believe the hype: health headlines dissected

iagra could reduce the risk of heart attack, according to Manchester University scientists. The active ingredient in the little blue pill could also prevent damage to heart cells, potentially prolonging the lives of thousands.

TH E S TO RY Researchers at the University of Manchester set out to find if the active ingredient in the erectile dysfunction drug could slow the progression of heart failure, as well as reduce the likelihood of fatal arrhythmias.

TH E S TU DY Prof. Andrew Trafford and his team, funded by the British Heart Foundation, looked at how phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (PDE5i) – a key ingredient of Viagra (sildenafil) – could also prevent damage to heart cells. PDE5i works by relaxing the muscle cells of blood vessels in order to increase blood flow.

Number of participants: 6000. What the researchers did: Experts from the Centre for Cardiac Research at the University of Manchester studied male diabetic patients in Cheshire who had been given Viagra to treat erectile dysfunction. What the press said: ‘Sex drug Viagra could… prevent fatal heart attacks’ The Express ‘Viagra reduces heart attack risk’ Daily Mail ‘Sexual healing!’ Newsinbrief.com.

TH E R E S U LT S In results dubbed “incredibly exciting” by the researchers, men taking the erectile dysfunction drug were found to have a lower risk of having a heart attack or dying from heart failure compared to those not taking the medication. The study showed that cells from a failing heart survive for longer when they are given PDE5i. Lead author Prof. Trafford said that Viagra had “a very pronounced effect in slowing the progression of heart failure as well as reducing the likelihood of fatal arrhythmias”. Arrhythmias are responsible for killing up to half of all heart failure patients.

TH E D E A L The results of the study showed that while diabetic patients have a higher risk of developing heart conditions, participants who took Viagra experienced fewer incidents compared to patients not taking the drug. Prof. Trafford concluded: “These exciting findings pave the way for future studies in patients with heart failure, or at risk of developing heart failure, to confirm that Viagra and related drugs are indeed helpful new tools in the fight against heart disease.”

HEART

of the MATTER

900,000 AROUND

PEOPLE IN THE UK ARE AFFECTED BY HEART FAILURE

Heart failure IS LINKED TO CORONARY HEART DISEASE (CHD), THE UK’S

SINGLE BIGGEST

KILLER Most deaths from CHD are caused by a heart attack

70,000

CHD KILLS AROUND

190 PEOPLE IN THE UK EACH YEAR, AN AVERAGE OF

people each day bhf.org.uk & NHS.uk

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INTO THE ABYSS

Our political philanthropist filters through the debris of our EU exit WORDS BY

Claudia Rubin

E CO N O M I C

ew weeks can have been more politically tumultuous than these ones. They have witnessed the UK vote to leave the EU, the resignation of the prime minister and almost the entire shadow cabinet, and uncertainty about ‘union’ itself. Not to mention the rise and fall and rise again of political big beasts such as Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage. And then – with devastating speed and ruthlessness – a new prime minister, new cabinet in post and hints at some significant policy change. The normal circumstances surrounding this type of political upheaval would be dominated by the need to calm the Brexit waters. Though Theresa May has stated that ‘Brexit means Brexit’ – and politically it will be vital for her to demonstrate that she can make the new economics of Brexit work – Philip Hammond, the new chancellor, warned that this project may take six years to complete.

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The leave vote has triggered vortex waves around the economic system – both here and abroad. Economies are largely based on consumer confidence, and it takes little to burst that bubble, with repercussions occurring across every area of business. When people stop spending money – either on the high street or in the form of foreign investment – the effect is felt from the top of the property market down to the sole practitioner and first-time buyer. It was unsurprising that David Cameron’s last Prime Minister’s Questions in the Commons would be a schmaltzy affair, but the utter disarray unleashed by his failed political gamble across UK business, was very apparent. The urgent priorities, one vaguely recalls from the pre-referendum world, such as the financial crises at the NHS and in social care, housing shortages and many others, will now fall in line behind the urgent need to settle the macro uncertainties of Brexit. Perhaps the most unfortunate consequence will be if May’s new policy agenda is not given enough air time. Advocates of small government and driven by austerity, the Conservatives have in recent years overseen a massive slimming down of the civil service, but will now need to create an enhanced bureaucracy to replace the functions currently undertaken at European level. Central government is likely to grow in the short term at least and this will need to be funded.

Meanwhile, a radical rethink of economic policy will be required to stave off recession, restore market confidence, protect the UK as a home for investment and reinforce its position as a leading financial sector. The pound is likely to remain weak at least over the next two years, meaning UK exports will become cheaper, but imports more expensive. This will have implications for pharma pricing here, where the product originates outside the UK and is denominated in a currency other than Sterling, when bought by the UK affiliate. Part of the radical adjustment is likely to revolve around making the UK an attractive place to do business. Cuts in areas such as corporation tax, tax breaks to encourage investment, taxes on financial dealing transactions, taxes that disincentivise non-doms and tax breaks focussed on the life sciences sector are all on the cards. These will need to be funded by spending cuts and/or tax rises in areas that are seen as less mission-critical. Any savings from leaving Europe will not be realised until the UK actually leaves, so there will be a medium term shortfall between the tax cuts, needed to avoid recession, and the availability of the clawed back funding from Europe, which will become available in two to three years’ time. The leave campaign has, of course, admitted that significant additional funding will not be made available for the NHS as a result of the leave vote, so there will not be spare money to spend on drugs, diagnostics and other interventions.

OPINION

CL AU D IA G E TS TECH N I CAL …

The urgent priorities, one vaguely recalls from the pre-referendum world, such the NHS, now fall in line behind the urgent need to settle the macro uncertainties of Brexit.

We are watching product licensing processes – notably, EMA, mutual recognition and CE marks. These may continue as they are, or be replaced by a new UK system, while the remainder of Europe continues with the original form. The UK has often been at the forefront of drives for improved regulation in healthcare, and been at the heart of moves for more co-ordinated crossborder pricing and health economic evaluation. It The UK’s influence and impact on these areas may now proceed at a slower pace. Another interesting aspect is whether US companies, which have often used the UK as one of its two tester markets for new technologies – Germany being the other – still place value on our systems and shared language. It is unclear if there will continue to be free movement of people between the UK and Europe, or whether quotas will be applied to limit the number of Europeans able to hold UK jobs. Any clamp-down on this may seriously hinder the ability of companies with European centres to move staff in and out of the UK. Primary European head office bases in the UK will be scrutinised to assess whether they would now be better situated in other European countries. Meanwhile, orphan drug legislation, and the incentives that accompany this, may be under threat, especially given NHS England's concerns around the cost of those drugs, and the patient and data protection that goes with them. There will be financial implications of having to deal with safety, efficacy and pharmaco-vigilance systems where the UK will now have to be treated differently and, presumably, at extra cost. Ultimately, it may be that scant change will result, since the UK has been a major player in creating the content of technical regulation, so any future stipulations in the UK will mirror the current position in Europe. PRIME and other European adaptive licensing processes, however, would no longer carry weight in the UK and we may lose the benefits that these bring. Cross-border scientific co-operation and standards, plus the existing European funding that goes to R&D – drawn in by what is recognised to be the UK’s high standards – is likely to be called into question. Indeed, recent reports indicate that UK scientists have already been dropped from EU projects, or are stepping away from new applications, as they and their UK institutions are considered a financial liability. In these unprecedented times, the uncertainty for companies, large and small, will doubtless herald risk and opportunity. Those at the cutting edge of government policy will be doing their best to advise and strategise effectively. Claudia Rubin is a Government Affairs Strategist at Decideum. Go to decideum.com

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WIGHT LIGHTNING

JP escapes the mayhem to discover that every man and indeed woman is an island. INTERVIEW BY

hile the rest of the country tries desperately to keep afloat I wonder to myself, periodically, what they’re all thinking on the Isle of Wight – is it a sanctuary? It’s time to get some answers from Operations Manager Specialist Services, Helen Figgins – someone who knows a thing or two about the NHS and pharma islands, as well. JP How did you end up on the Isle of Wight, Helen? My partner is from the Isle of Wight, while I am from Christchurch, which it is just across the water. I started living there at weekends, but then a job opportunity arose, and now I’m living the dream, as an island resident. JP Trying a desert island out first sounds very sensible. Yes, you need to slowly condition yourself – it’s a bit of a different lifestyle. JP How strange has it been living on an island, while the rest of the country descends into chaos? You still feel very much part of Britain and all the chaos that’s going on. In terms of the wider political agenda, it doesn’t feel any different from

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John Pinching

living in Christchurch. There are still the same debates on the island – families are arguing, and friendships are being lost. JP That’s reassuring to know. You’ll be just as bemused about where Cameron is. Perhaps fishing on the Isle of Wight? I don’t know whether I’ve been watching too much House of Cards, but I think there’s a lot going on in the background that we don’t know about. JP When did you first realise you wanted to help people? When I was very young I wanted to be a nurse. My mum wouldn’t let me, because she’s a nurse and she didn’t want me to experience the frustrations with the NHS that she’d gone through. During my A Levels I did a lot of voluntary work at a children’s home, carrying out physiotherapy. Then I realised that in order to specialise in child physio, I’d have to administer it on old people, and at the age of 17, it didn’t appeal to me. JP Ha! What did you go for instead? I studied human biology, with psychology, at university. I was also working for Red Bull at the time, and my tutor suggested

that I mix the sales and biology aspects of my life together, and become a medical rep. I ended up working for AstraZeneca, and went on to do some commercial and brand management. I always felt, however, that I was on the wrong side of the fence, and regretted not going down the healthcare route. JP How did you rectify the situation? I left and went travelling. JP Good on you! After that I moved to Canada for a while, and got a job helping out with the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010. I’d always wanted to be involved in something like that, because I love skiing. I looked after 200 volunteers, arranging movement on and off the mountain. I really enjoyed all the comradery and high-fiving. JP Did your career continue going uphill when you got back home? I joined Events 4 Healthcare as a Commercial Director. I wanted the chance to really look at marketing messages, product development and studying the evidence behind a product – and that’s what Karl Hamer was doing.

COFFEE BRE AK

Being an Island has its advantages – we only have one local authority, one CCG and one NHS trust.

JP How did you take the leap into the public sector? We were doing a project on mental health at E4H, when the subject of commissioners came up. I didn’t really know what they did, so I Googled it, and a role for a mental health commissioner came up on the Isle of Wight. I decided to apply and I got the job. JP It sounds like you wanted to get the patient in sharper focus. Previously in my career there were too many times when the patient wasn’t at the forefront of the conversation. Making a difference has always been a motivating factor for me. JP From a healthcare perspective, what’s it like on the Isle of Wight? We have serious financial pressures like most places at the moment, especially being an island with a small population. It is exciting, however, as we are a vanguard site and looking at redesigning health and social care services to ensure they meet the needs of the island residents, and are sustainable. We should see some innovative projects emerging from this work, which we can share with other areas. Being an island has its advantages –

we only have one local authority, one CCG and one NHS trust. The mental health services are part of the main acute trust, which is unusual as they are typically separate. This helps us to address the parity of esteem agenda – making sure physical and mental health are addressed equally. JP That sounds like a really practical and streamlined way of helping patients. You have to treat the person holistically, because so many of these problems are interlinked. The Isle of Wight has carried out some excellent work in collaborating with the police, not just in challenging situations, but also treating high-risk patients that are presenting to a number of different agencies. The work is looking to be shared across the South Coast with other CCGs and police forces. JP What are your next challenges? After being on maternity leave recently, I decided to take a job as an operations manager, so I’m now delivering the services, which commissioners monitor, as opposed to the other way around – I’m on other side of the table during negotiations. The services I deal with

are dementia, learning disabilities, drugs and alcohol, and children’s mental health. JP What’s your job like on a daily basis? My working day varies – no two days are the same. It includes keeping an eye on budgets, performance, workforce and responding to our statutory requirements. It’s also about ensuring we’re delivering against our service specifications, challenging back to commissioners about increases in demand, and identifying service efficiencies or increased capacity requirements. Overall the aim is to help the system flow better and improve outcomes. JP Sounds like you’re very busy, Helen. What record would you choose for the soundtrack of your life? Break My Stride by Matthew Wilder. JP Curious. What would your last meal consist of? Steak and chips. And maceral and new potatoes. JP That’s two, Helen, but you deserve them. Goodbye or, as the say on the Isle of Wight, ‘goodbye’. Bye John

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WORDS BY

Dr Helen Webberley

Dangerous LIASIONS GPs are failing transgender patients with a lack of compassion and understanding that must change

he recent massacre in Orlando served as a grim reminder that discrimination against minority groups continues to play a very real part in our so-called ‘modern society’. Of course, these episodes are extreme, but while this degree of hatred is mercifully rare, members of the LGBT community have come to accept prejudice as an everyday occurrence. Nowhere is that more true than if you are a trans man or a trans woman. Every day I hear stories through my online clinic – GenderGP – from members of the trans community, about the battles of bigotry, prejudice and humiliation they face. But what shocks me most, is when that sentiment comes from members of the health profession. Following significant concerns raised by the House of Commons Women and

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Equalities Committee in their recent report on Transgender Equality – specifically in relation to the lack of awareness and consideration shown by a great many doctors in treating transgender patients – I was delighted to see the General Medical Council (GMC) publish guidelines on managing transgender patients. The guidelines state that GPs can prescribe hormones to patients suffering with gender identity disorder, under the following ‘exceptional circumstances’: The patient is self-prescribing with hormones from an unregulated source The bridging prescriptions are intended to mitigate risk of self-harm or suicide The GP has sought the advice of a gender specialist and prescribed the lowest acceptable dose This was met with a variety of concerns from NHS GPs, and I am disappointed at the reluctance to openly embrace the news that we can now do more to help our trans patients.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, CBE Chair of the BMA General Practitioners Committee, penned his concerns to the GMC, raising a number of emotive points. His main uneasiness being that specialist prescribing would place GPs in a difficult position, forcing them to prescribe outside the limits of their competence. In response, Susan Goldsmith, acting chief executive of the GMC, provided reassurances, which included the point that GPs would be expected to ‘acquire the knowledge and skills to be able to deliver a good service to their patient population’. This, she explained, may mean undertaking training. It was clear that the GMC does not consider care for patients with gender dysphoria as a highly specialised treatment area requiring specific expertise. Goldsmith goes on to endorse a firm view of mine: that these patients actually require very simple care and well-known medication. The medication for transgender care includes oestrogen therapy used for

F E AT U R E treating female menopause (estradiol), injections that are typically given to women with endometriosis or men with prostate cancer (GNRH analogues) and a diuretic used for heart failure (spironolactone). Furthermore, antiandrogens used in contraceptives (cyproterone acetate), medication for benign prostate hyperplasia (finasteride) and testosterone replacement therapy, generally used for the management of the male menopause, can also be prescribed. These are medications that are well known to GPs, and we are well versed in their potential side effects and effective monitoring. So why is it that GPs are reluctant to take this on? There have been some wellpublicised legal cases of doctors trying to help transgender patients – Dr Russell Reid was criticised for a lack of caution in initiating hormonal and surgical gender reassignment treatment, without more careful and thorough investigation and assessment. Meanwhile, his successor, Dr Richard Curtis, was also subjected to a lengthy investigation. Fear of litigation is at the forefront of any doctors’ mind, but should this impair our duty to help our patients in the best way we can? GPs prescribe hormone patches for menopausal symptoms regularly, but if a trans man asks you to do the same, the response he experiences is often one of horror. Not all trans people want to go through lengthy assessments, procedures, hoops and surgery – they just want the right hormones to suit their true gender. These are actually very safe treatments, and delays in receiving care from GPs and NHS gender clinics mean that people are turning to illegal sources and unsafe forms of medication. In the very worst cases, death appears to be the only answer. The other essential aspect of transgender care is listening, hearing, caring, educating, protecting – bread and butter to GPs. Often the key healthcare provider for the transgender patient, however, is an endocrinologist. Experts in their field yes, but have they honed their patient skills to the same extent as a GP? I would argue not. So many of my patients tell me about the long journey they have to take, before even feeling brave enough to confide with their GP that they are suffering from gender variance, only to have their feelings dismissed or told that they will ‘grow out of it.’

Not all trans people want to go through lengthy assessments, procedures, hoops and surgery – they just want the right hormones to suit their true gender.

CARRY O N D OC TO R I have the following simple advice for GPs, which might just help any transgender patients they may come into contact with. If you don’t know, look it up. There are many training resources and literature sources on gender care. Go to elearning.rcgp.org.uk/gendervariance Listen to your patients, they are not mentally ill, they are gender incongruent Their medical needs are often very simple – some hormone replacement therapy and a listening ear The treatments are those that we use every day – put any prejudice aside and, if you think your patient is suffering from gender variance, get your prescription pad out The cost of treating these patients is far less than the loss of life and distress caused by refusing them very simple, basic care

Dr Helen Webberley MBChB MRCGP MFSRH is a GP specialising in the treatment of transgender patients on the NHS and via her private online clinic. Go to gendergp.co.uk

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One moment in time The last few weeks have proved indisputably – nothing lasts forever… WORDS BY

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Henry Rubinstein

OPINION

uch were the words of the villainous Francis Urquhart in the original 1990 TV series House of Cards, as he stared at a picture of Margaret Thatcher, mulling over her demise. I felt when I first watched it – and still do – that no truer words were spoken. For example, this might be my last column I compose, should I fall foul of Pf’s illustrious editor or, heaven-forbid, turn in some lacklustre copy. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months, you will no doubt be aware of the tumultuous state of the British political system: a divisive referendum, a shock result, the resignation of the Prime Minister, a split Labour Party and a new Premier. It’s enough to make your head spin. All the while, the media has been whipping up a storm – conjuring a cocktail of grim uncertainty, darkness and pessimism. No wonder we’re all worried about the future. I think it’s time to call for some sanity. A pragmatic and considered look at the current playing field – socially, economically and personally. We all seem to rush around, panicking about those things in the distance we have no control over. It’s time to take a step back. In previous editions of this column, I have discussed the virtues in occasionally switching off from the daily grind and I think now it’s time that we took another collective ‘chill pill’ and accepted that situations always change, and all things, both professional and personal, are finite. Professionally, trying to predict the future – unless you happen to be an economist, pollster or tarot card reader – is a highly counter-productive pastime. Just looking at the papers on a daily basis shows how impossible it is to predict what’s going to occur next. It’s quite amazing how many people beat themselves up about things that haven’t even happened, and without any idea of the outcome.

Anxiety, the buzzword of the psychological moment, is a very destructive force and to my mind it stifles productivity, clouding your outlook. As I write, I sound rather hypocritical as I am a terrible worrier – always wondering how an action will pan out, what will happen if I don’t do something/ if I do do something. It’s jolly tiring. The other day, drowning in deadlines and fretting about upcoming update meetings, I read a rather strange blog entitled Embrace the Chaos, which offered an interesting take on the whole thing. One point, which resonated, and haunted me, was ‘you’re missing the best time of your life’. He hit the nail on the head. I’m lucky to have a comfortable lifestyle, great pals, a wonderful girlfriend, stimulating work and a fun office – and I was losing it over a couple of thousand words and a presentation. I knew I needed to get a grip, otherwise life would pass me by and I would be too concerned with the fog of the future to enjoy it.

We all seem to rush around, panicking about those things in the distance we have no control over. It’s time to take a step back.

D E AR DAVI D, LOVE H E N RY I’m very sure former Prime Minister, David Cameron, did not foresee his very rapid demise from the top of the political mountain. It all happened with such disorientating speed and many of us would have been forgiven for screaming into a pillow or reaching for the bottle. I admired, however, his cool, calm composure throughout the process. He was completely unfazed. This was an almost blissful acceptance of events – going with the flow and letting things follow a natural course, as opposed to fighting them or attempting to change events before they happened. It struck me to the core. When he left Downing Street – unlike his predecessors – Cameron looked like a man at ease with his record, enjoying himself and looking forward to what the future had to offer, as opposed to worrying about what it might hold. We could all learn something from his approach. While nothing lasts forever and tomorrow is uncertain, we all need to live more in the moment. Henry Rubinstein is planning manager at Triggerfish Communications. Go to triggerfish.co.uk

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WORDS BY

Amy Schofield

Utmost precision The move away from a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach of precision medicine could trigger a revolution

urrently, many available drugs are used to treat patients under the assumption that ‘one-size-fits-all’, but drugs don’t work the same way for every patient. The precision – or personalised – medicine approach, based on comprehensive diagnostic and clinical characterisation, ensures that the right patient gets the right treatment at the right time. Precision medicine involves using various technologies including genomics, diagnostics and data analytics. Diagnoses are subsequently adapted to the detailed information that is emerging about our specific genetic make-up. Pharmaceutical solutions tailored to our DNA – rather than one-size-fits-all medicines aimed at the mass-market – are the future of medical treatment, which treats the person, not the disease. Dr Sandra Horning, Roche’s Chief Medical Officer and Head of Global Product Development, says: “The confluence of new medicines, sophisticated diagnostics and advanced technologies has created an unprecedented opportunity to improve outcomes for patients today and in the future.”

It is more important to know what sort of person has a disease than what sort of disease a person has. Hippocrates

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F E AT U R E

ACCELER ATING THE PROCESS As people live longer and diagnosis and treatments improve, the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases, such as cancer and diabetes, present a significant challenge as lifestyle choices act together with the genetic make-up of a patient. The need to treat the individual, rather than the group of individuals with the condition, is the catalyst for the personalised medicine approach. Is the pace of development able to keep up with the evolving needs of the patient population? Steven Shak, MD and chief scientific officer, Genomic Health, told Pf Magazine: “There is no question that innovations and new discoveries are being made at an accelerated pace today, compared with the past. As researchers and caregivers in the world of cancer, we know that patients have an incredible urgency for us to move even faster to make sure that we identify both drugs and tests that really work, and make sure they are used appropriately in clinical practice.” NHS England’s National Director Sir Bruce Keogh announced the transition, to a personalised approach, in September last year, while outlining his emerging strategy for personalised medicine in the health service. He called it “the future of the NHS”. He said that the work already being done, through the NHS’s contribution to the 100,000 Genomes Project, must be capitalised on, and fast. “The shift to personalised medicine is already underway – our role as a system leader and commissioning organisation is to consider how this transformation can be accelerated,” he said. Embracing technology and innovation is clearly key to the success of this shift. An example of this comes from Genomic Health, which has developed the Oncotype DX® Breast Recurrence Score™. The therapy has now been used in over 600,000 patients around the world, to help them decide whether they need chemotherapy or not, when they’re first diagnosed with breast cancer. “With new technologies we can now look at tens of thousands of genes and at their expression. We used a very innovative and creative approach to find and identify the genes that mattered,” said Shak. “In precision medicine it’s incredibly important that innovations are developed, used appropriately and reimbursed and paid for, so patients can benefit.”

Researchers are learning how inherited differences in genes affect the body’s response to medicines.

GENE GENIE Scientists cracked the human genome code thirteen years ago, resulting in the evolution of genomics. This discipline studies each individual’s complete set of DNA which, in turn, helps in the understanding of the person’s predisposition towards genetic diseases, and helps to inform the personalised treatment that is best for that patient. Chief Scientific Officer for England, Professor Sue Hill, recently delivered an overview on how genomics and personalised medicine is set to transform the NHS. With the knowledge gained

from the project, researchers are learning how inherited differences in genes affect the body’s response to medicines. These differences will then be used to predict whether a medication will be effective for an individual and help to prevent adverse drug reactions. Shak points out, however, that innovations take time to reach those who need them: “Healthcare innovations can take 10 to 20 years to disseminate into actual practice. One of the things that’s going to be very important for bringing innovation into clinical practice in the future is to better take advantage of technology.”

CATAPU LTI N G I N N OVATI O N The Precision Medicine Catapult’s (PMC) aim is to make precision medicine a reality in the UK. It has six regional centres of excellence, all working on locally driven programmes, using the PMC network to harness the breadth of UK expertise, while developing innovative technologies and solutions for broader use across the UK’s healthcare sector. It is headquartered in Cambridge, where AstraZeneca is creating a new research centre, led by Dr Menelas Pangalos, Executive Vice President of AstraZeneca’s Innovative Medicines and Early Development Biotech Unit. Earlier this year the PMC announced a strategic partnership with the UK Pharmacogenetics and Stratified Medicine Network to drive the growth of the UK industry and accelerate the delivery of precision medicine to patients. It has over 400 individual members drawn from academia, medicine, industry, regulatory authorities and patient groups across the UK and elsewhere. Meanwhile, pharma pipelines that include precision medicine-based targeted therapies are continuing to grow, with the added benefit of the maximisation of patient populations, for clinical trials, by the use of genomic information as an integral part of trial enrolment. Precision medicine is gaining momentum, which has the potential to reshape how therapies are developed in the future, and industry is perfectly placed to capitalise on incorporating huge amounts of genomic and clinical data in their R&D processes, creating greater success in drug development and the understanding of disease.

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AWA R D W I N N E R S :

Where are they now? JP tracks down Karen Davies, who won her title back in 2007 INTERVIEW BY

John Pinching

or 16 Years the Pf Awards have set the standard for ambitious people in pharma sales who want to reach the pinnacle of their profession. I’m catching up with Karen Davies who, nearly ten years ago, won the much-revered ‘Account Manager’ Pf Award. JP What are your recollections of winning a Pf Award? I remember it vividly – at the time I was working at Pfizer, within a newly formed national team of Account Managers. I was really hoping to do well, not only because I was competing against peers in the industry, but also because I wanted to benchmark my own skills. The evening was tremendously entertaining and we watched all the other categories being awarded,

before the Account Manager Award was read out. It was strange, because I didn’t really hear the name of the winner. My boss nudged me and said, ‘It’s you!’ I remember walking through the tables to pick up the award from England rugby legend, Matt Dawson. Everyone was clapping and cheering. It was a brilliant night that I’ll never forget. JP How did your life change? The awards enable you to benchmark your skills against industry peers. Winning gave me the confidence to work differently with customers, as well as the opportunity to help aspiring Account Managers to develop. It also reinforced my belief that the Account Management role really could make a positive difference to both the NHS and the patients who receive our medicines.

Are you a past winner? We want to speak to you! We’re creating a network of past recipients to share their experiences and create networking opportunities. Give us a call on 01462 476120 or email enquiries@pfawards.co.uk P FAWA R D S .C O.U K

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P H A R M A TA L E N T Winning smiles: Karen in 2007 with rugby legend Matt Dawson and John Beighton from award sponsor Teva. These days Karen is a National Sales Manager for Ferring Pharmaceuticals.

Pf Awards are a real showcase for all the great people we have throughout the industry.

JP What impact did it have on your career? I secured a role as Regional Director at Pfizer and led a great team of Account Managers across the East of England. I then joined Boehringer Ingelheim to take a strategic national account management role. This enabled me to work with national and regional bodies to develop innovative proposals and projects for outcome-focused partnership working. After two and half years I wanted a new challenge so, in 2015, I joined Ferring Pharmaceuticals as National Sales Manager for the Gastro, Urology and Men’s Health Division. Here I lead teams of Regional Account Managers and Key Account Specialists. We believe that in order to have a healthy tomorrow, we must think beyond the needs of today. This philosophy fuels my passion for driving innovative key account management and making a difference to people’s health and quality of life. JP Would you recommend the Pf Awards to anyone else? Yes, I am a really firm supporter of the awards. It’s a real showcase for all the great people we have throughout the industry. Anyone who has entered will know that it is a big challenge and not an easy process, but going through it and competing on the assessment day is an achievement for every single person that applies. For those people that are finalists and winners on the night, the experience will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Go to pfawards.co.uk

Are you a future winner? Be part of it in 2017. Take your talent, show your style, change your life. Pf Awards are the largest sales awards in the UK pharmaceutical industry. Entries open 5 September 2016. Jump online to see entry criteria. P FAWA R D S .C O.U K

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P H A R M A TA L E N T

MOVERS & SHAKERS

MURDO GORDON

RALF SCHMID

Bristol-Myers Squibb has appointed Murdo Gordon to the new role of executive Vice-president and Chief Commercial Officer. He will lead the execution of the company’s commercial strategy and worldwide market activity.

UK-based antifungal drug discovery and development company F2G Ltd has appointed Ralf Schmid to chief Financial Officer. Ralf joins F2G from Nabriva Theraputics and brings over 20 years’ experience to the company, with considerable expertise in M&A, licensing, public and private market transactions.

DR ADRIAN HARDY (LEFT) AND BRIAN CASS

Dr Adrian Hardy has joined Envigo’s Board of Directors, and has also been announced as President and Chief Executive Officer. He joined Envigo in 2002 and has held various roles in sales, strategic marketing and operations, most recently serving as COO. Previous CEO Brian Cass – who led the company for 18 years – has become Executive Chairman.

SIMONE MENNE

WHO’S GOING WHERE AND WHY THEY’RE GOING THERE. WORDS BY

Amy Schofield

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Boehringer Ingelheim has named Simone Menne as Chief Financial Officer. Menne is currently CFO at Lufthansa, and will succeed Hubertus von Baumback from September 2016. She has previously held strategic and operational responsibility roles in Germany and abroad. Baumbach, meanwhile, took up the Chairman of the Board of Managing Directors role in July. NICK WYKEMAN

Allergy Therapeutics, the speciality pharmaceutical company, which focuses on allergy vaccines, has appointed Nick Wykeman to the Board, as Finance Director.

MARIA ELETSKAYA

London-based healthcare market research agency Cello Health Insight has recruited Maria Eletskaya to its European research team, as a director. A trained psychologist, She joins the team from Ipsos Mori. Eletskaya specialises in emerging and developing markets, further diversifying Cello Health Insight’s ‘IQ’ offering – the quantitative arm of the business.

PATRICIA HENAHAN

Envigo – formerly Huntingdon Life Sciences – has appointed Patricia Henahan to the position of Chief Financial Officer. She has extensive financial experience in the life sciences sector, including leadership roles at Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca, MedImmune and Hospira, where she was Vice President of Finance for the company’s $3 billion US pharmaceutical business.

I N T R O D U CI N G I N T R O D U C I N G

INTRODUCIN G

I N T R O D U C I N G

TRANSFORMING POTENTIAL OI D T R AINNS FTORR M N GU PCO IT N E NG TIAL TRANSFORMING POTENTIAL

I N T R O D U C I N G

Focused on the development Focused on the development capabilities T R A NFocused Sof F Oof Rcapabilities M the ING PO ENTIAL in Tin on development the pharmaceutical industry of capabilities in the pharmaceutical industry

the pharmaceutical industry Working with individuals and teams Working with individuals andand teamsteams to transform their potential Working with individuals and T R AtoNtransform S F O achieve R M I Ntheir G success Ppotential OTENTIAL toFocused transform their potential the development andon achieve success PAUL ANDREWS & NICOLE BURNS

Virgo Health has strengthened its digital and creative offering with the appointment of Nicole Burns as Social Media Strategist and Paul Andrews as Head of Design. Both will sit within ‘Virgo Pharmacy’, a creative studio for Virgo’s digital, design and innovation content.

MONCEF SLAOUI

GSK’s Dr Moncef Slaoui, Chairman, Vaccines, has indicated to the Board his intention to retire from the Company on 30 June 2017. He will remain a member of the Board until 31 March 2017, before serving as an advisor to both GSK, and the Board, until his retirement date. Dr Slaoui joined GSK in 1988, overseeing the complex acquisition of Novartis AG’s vaccine division in 2015, and is credited with driving GSK’s vaccines pipeline, including Rotarix and Cervarix.

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M AG A ZI N E | AU G U S T 2016 | 2 5 www.cormispartnership.com

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P H A R M A TA L E N T

Torsten Seyfarth, a Portfolio Development Manager at Roche, talks connections, collaboration, and comfort zones. INTERVIEW BY

Amy Schofield

Q What do you do? I work alongside our Hospital Sales Specialists to support stakeholders in hospital trusts and local commissioners. My main role is to support these stakeholders in managing the impact of Roche medicines from a service delivery and a budgetary planning perspective. Q How long have you been in pharma? More than twelve years, and with Roche for nine. I’ve worked in a number of office and field based positions including sales, marketing, market access and medical. Throughout my time at Roche, the company has always provided me with the opportunity to continue my development. Q What are your career highs and milestones? Throughout my time in pharma I have been able to gain significant insight into different customer/colleague roles and functions, building relationships with people in various positions. Combining all these insights and connections helps me to be successful in my day-to-day role. Q What drives you? Successfully conquering challenges within my role, such as achieving difficult objectives, which require close cross-functional collaboration and innovative approaches. From a development perspective I’m always keen to expand and improve my skill set, which I regularly do by pushing myself out of my comfort zone. It’s great to work for a company that supports me and allows me to flourish.

Q What’s the best piece of careers advice you’ve ever had? There have been quite a few. One that really resonated was not to become too focused on the very next move, but to keep an open mind on how you can develop your skills in other settings/roles even more effectively. Often the advice I’ve been given, however, makes the most sense with hindsight and a few more years’ experience.

Reimbursement systems are changing, public sector spending is decreasing and there is now an increased desire for pharma companies to become more transparent. Q How do you turn challenges into opportunities? Every challenge is already an opportunity. Understanding exactly what the challenge is and what is required to overcome it allows you to find out what is in it for you or your colleagues, while also discovering different functions and how everyone can use these challenges to develop new skills and gain more experience. From an external perspective, new challenges, for example, allow you to engage with a new group of stakeholders or gain insights into new processes and to understand those. These insights ultimately help to achieve your goals now and in the future.

Q How has the pharma industry changed over the last few years? Compared to other industries pharma has been a very predictable and repetitive type of business, primarily driven by product lifecycles. The same rules have pretty much applied to all products, although this has significantly changed in recent years due to a number of factors: reimbursement systems are changing, public sector spending is decreasing and there is now an increased desire for pharma companies to become more transparent. This makes the whole approach to business a lot more dynamic. Rather than having to rely on different functions/departments playing their parts individually, the new environment requires an extremely integrated approach. There’s a lot of internal work required from pharma in order to accommodate all these changes, but also to successfully engage with external stakeholders and finally allow patients access to the treatments they most need. Q Where would you like to be five years from now? Focusing on leadership experience and integrated working across the organisation will complement my current skill set very nicely and set me up for future opportunities. Q What advice would you give to a person entering the pharma sales industry now? Firstly, engage with people. Internally, work as closely as you possibly can with your team members, both field and office. Externally, get to know your customers and their needs, and then you can work out how to add value. Secondly, be yourself. Q What does the future hold for Roche? A lot of opportunities! Our portfolio is diversifying. We are just about to launch a number of new products for patients across several different disease areas. Given the aforementioned challenges, the portfolio will need to be managed internally and externally. It is great to work for a company right at the forefront of science, shaping the future of healthcare, and also, to be able to see these new developments making real differences for patients and their families.

M AG A ZI N E | AU G U S T 2016 | 2 7

E VENTS & CONFERENCES

DEAR DIARY Up-and-coming pharma events for your diary

DON' T MISS

1 S E P T E M B E R 2 016

16 S E P T E M B E R 2 016

World Drug Safety Congress

NICE Technology Appraisals – the law, the process, the reality

Pf Awards 2017 Launch

World Drug Safety Congress Europe is the most renowned annual event for the drug safety community. The two day conference will feature a plethora of case study presentations covering what's new in drug safety, the recent EMA revisions and guidance documents and a focus on PV processes outside Europe. Bringing together 40+ experts, the conference will discuss the key challenges and solutions in drug safety at the 10th annual forum.

WHO: Morph Consultancy

14 -15 S E P T E M B E R 2 016 WHERE: Munich WHO: Health Network

Communications Info INFO: bit.ly/295Zzhg CONTACT: 020 7092 1000

or customerservices@ healthnetworkcommunications.com

U P CO M I N G E V E N T W E S H O U L D K N OW A B O U T ? H A Z EL @ P H A R M A F I EL D. CO. U K

2 8 | PH A R M A FI EL D.CO.U K

claire@morphconsultancy.co.uk

Further details to be announced soon. Don't miss out on this great event! WHO: Events4Healthcare INFO: pfawards.co.uk CONTACT: 01462 476120 or enquiries@pfawards.co.uk

8 - 9 S E P T E M B E R 2 016

21 S E P T E M B E R 2 016

1st International Conference on risk assessment of Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (ICRAPHE)

NHS Improvement – where it’s going, drivers and policies

WHERE: Paris

WHO: Morph Consultancy

WHO: ICRAPHE

INFO: morphconsultancy.co.uk

INFO: icraphe.com

CONTACT: 07581358272 or

CONTACT: icraphe.com/en/contact

claire@morphconsultancy.co.uk

WHERE: Leeds INFO: morphconsultancy.co.uk CONTACT: 07581358272 or

WHERE: Durham

14 -15 S E P T E M B E R 2 016

2 3 S E P T E M B E R 2 016

BioData World Congress USA WHERE: Boston

Vanguard Orthopaedic Alliance

WHO: Health Network

WHERE: Birmingham

Communications Info INFO: healthnetworkcommunications.com CONTACT: 020 7092 1000 or customerservices@ healthnetworkcommunications.com

WHO: Morph Consultancy INFO: morphconsultancy.co.uk CONTACT: 07581358272 or

claire@morphconsultancy.co.uk

Need a career change? Race over to PharmaJobs.

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PHARMAJOBS.CO.UK

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