Pf Magazine October 2016

October 2016 PHARMAFI E LD.CO.U K

Create your future Exceptional sales, marketing, clinical and nursing opportunities from graduate to executive level from Star – the industry’s most preferred contract sales organisation and recruitment agency*.

Submit your CV to solutions@starmedical.co.uk or call our team on 01628 581 240. starmedical.co.uk *Pf’s Company Perception, Motivation and Satisfaction survey, 2016

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.com @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.

B

Letter from the Editor

ack in the day, when parents thought you were harbouring unrealistic fantasies, they would insist that, ‘you’re not living in the real world’. It usually came shortly after you’d announced plans to become a rock star or work in a chocolate factory.

After decades of being told that it is not functioning in the apocryphal ‘real world’, the pharma industry seems to be doing all it can to get back there. You can’t swing a patient these days without hitting a ‘real world’ prefix. Buzz phrases like ‘real world data’ and ‘real world evidence’ are resonating around the corridors, labs and conference rooms of the pharmaverse. In these pages we demonstrate how the real world revolution has its roots in the UK. One thing that cannot be denied is that pharma is attempting to proceed in a different direction – it’s getting back to reality. But getting back to reality is far from easy. Pharma is the crusader that has come in from the cold, only to discover that patients have real feelings (beyond whether a therapy has – technically – succeeded).

The patient voice – through a lethal cocktail of digital technology and an emerging, information-driven interest in their own health – has developed a striking timbre all of its own. To get among these voices in a meaningful way will be the biggest challenge for pharma in a century.

Until recently the patient was located ‘at the end of the journey’.

Some still refer to the patient as the ‘end user’. If the relationship between medicine-producer and medicine-taker is to experience a radical transformation, involving ‘real world cooperation’ – the key is, not just for pharma to bring the patient from the beginning, but for the patient to bring pharma.

Witness this fascinating landscape evolution in Pf Magazine.

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.

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

M AG A ZI N E | O C TO B ER 2016 | 1

MAGAZINE

Contents One of the greatest challenges to optimising the use of real world evidence is acceptance; getting healthcare professionals to accept the validity of the information gathered.

Cover story, page 8

3

12

20

We bring you this month’s most indispensable headlines

If the NHS is to continue the British public must accept change

Your hobby might just get you the job you’ve been looking for

N E WS

8

F E AT U R E

14

F E AT U R E

COFFEE BREAK

Real world evidence sounds extraordinary, but what exactly does it bring to the party?

JP finds out what the ‘Chase’ for recruitment brilliance involves

10 OPINION

He’s a philosopher, he’s a therapist, he’s a human man but, above all, he’s Henry

11 F E AT U R E

Discovering a dementia cure is like finding the proverbial needle in a haystack

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

16

F E AT U R E

23 F E AT U R E

A Pf Award winner looks back at an evening that changed their life forever

24

F E AT U R E

P H A R M ATA L E N T

In the corridors of political pontification data, pricing and access hover with intent

Where are folk going and what amazing things will they do when they get there?

18 OPINION

In the midst of healthcare chaos pharmacy could emerge as a real hero

26 F E AT U R E

GSK is still shaping some of industry’s most exciting developments

P f N E WS : B R IN G IN G YOU TH I S M O NTH ' S E SS ENTI A L H E A D LIN E S

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

TESTS AIM TO GET HEAD START ON ALZHEIMER’S A new UK study which aims to improve the success rate of research trials for treatments in Alzheimer’s disease has been announced by the Medical Research Council and National Institute for Health Research.

The ‘Deep and Frequent Phenotyping’ study will be the most thorough series of tests to detect Alzheimer’s disease ever performed on volunteer participants.

Detecting early signs of dementia is a vital part of finding effective treatments, as people are able to take part in research before their condition becomes advanced.

The study will measure a large number of biological markers in people at risk of developing the disease and establish ways to identify changes as early as possible.

Alzheimer’s Society supported a pilot study with people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, making sure the tests being proposed would be acceptable. The researchers have now been awarded over £6 million to conduct the full study in 250 UK volunteers.

Matt Murray, Engagement and Participation Manager at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “People in the early stages of dementia tried out the procedures involved in the study and shared their experiences to ensure the trial wouldn’t be daunting for others. Making sure that people affected by dementia have their voices heard, when studies are being designed, is an essential step.”

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

Mind over matter

N

ew research published in the journal Nature shows that the monoclonal antibody therapy aducanumab can remove the ‘sticky’ amyloid protein – regarded as an Alzheimer’s disease hallmark – from the brains of people in early stages of the disease.

As the first treatment of its kind, aducanumab is designed to target the amyloid protein and aims to modify an underlying cause of the disease.

The Phase 1b PRIME clinical trial involved 165 people with early stage or mild Alzheimer’s disease, randomly assigned into five groups.

One group were given a placebo and the others received different doses of the drug – from a 1 mg/kg dose up to 10 mg/kg – through intravenous infusion once a month, for a year.

In patients receiving aducanumab, the levels of amyloid plaques – visualised using positron emission tomography – were substantially reduced after one year. Evidence that aducanumab slowed cognitive decline in these patients was also demonstrated. Crucially, amyloid plaque reductions occurred in both a dose, and a time-dependent manner. If compounded by further trials, these results will significantly support the hypothesis that amyloid build-up is a key factor in driving cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease.

Professor Roger M Nitsch, Co-Founder and President of Neurimmune, said: “These results potentially represent a major step forward in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease; the magnitudes of the effects, as well as their time and dose-dependency, are truly intriguing.”

Aducanumab has been developed in collaboration with Biogen, and is the product of Neurimmune’s proprietary Reverse Translational Medicine™ technology platform.

Pf View: It’s inspiring to see the industry in a race to obliterate this condition. Companies are taking the sword to nature’s cruellest trick and rapidly outsmarting it.

M AG A ZI N E | O C TO B ER 2016 | 3

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

HuffPostUK Politics @HuffPostUKPol

Nigel Farage admits Brexit promise of £350m NHS spend was ‘irresponsible’.

Owen Smith 2016 @owensmith2016

Our NHS is suffering from chronic underfunding, a botched reorganisation and the worst Health Secretary in history.

Dr Christian Jessen @DoctorChristian

The @TheBMA calls off junior doctors’ strike due next week amid concerns about patient safety. See? Drs do listen. Shame the gov doesn’t!

A P P R OVA L S

Lonsurf’s up The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued final guidance recommending Servier UK’s Lonsurf® (trifluridine/tipiracil) as an option for treating metastatic colorectal cancer.

Following a single technology appraisal, the treatment is recommended in adults who have had previous treatment involving available therapies including fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin and irinotecan-based chemotherapies – or when these therapies are not suitable.

Servier welcomed the decision by NICE, which comes four months after the European Commission granted trifluridine/ tipiracil a marketing authorisation.

Jeremy Hunt @Jeremy_Hunt

Excellent to see massive improvement in cancer survival rates, where we now treat 130 more people every day vs 2010 Patrick Hall @PHallKF

14,200 additional emergency admissions, mainly older people.

Sustainability and Transformation for social care. Can’t be ignored.

Rodrigo Garcia @azigos

RWD (Real World Data) is the new buzz out there!! as it should be! #BigData really important for pharma, payers, prescribers, and patients NHS Bury CCG @NHSBuryCCG

We have tried to encourage patients to only use A&E in an emergency, this is not working, idea for a GP front end at A&E may be a solution Ovacome @ovacome

In the news: Fall in #ovariancancer deaths worldwide linked to contraceptive pill use.

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

A

A P P R OVA L S

bbVie’s venetoclax has received a positive scientific opinion through the UK’s Early Access to Medicines Scheme (EAMS). The US manufacturer’s investigational therapy for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) was granted the status from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. Venetoclax is now potentially available to patients with certain types of difficult-to-treat CLL and the marketing authorisation application is currently under review by the European Medicines Agency. The treatment is AbbVie’s first oncology therapy in the UK and the first treatment for CLL to be made available through EAMS. AbbVie is co-promoting venetoclax with Roche’s Genentech unit in the U.S. The treatment received accelerated approval in April under the name Venclexta. AbbVie, however, has exclusive licensing rights outside the U.S.

NEWS

ADHERENCE.

EVENT HORIZON

T

he Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) has published findings from the MINERVA study, ‘Assessing the Impact of Medication Adherence on Long-term Cardiovascular Outcomes’, which investigated associations between medication adherence and long-term major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients’ postmyocardial infarction (MI), and atherosclerotic disease (ATH).

The study showed a significant association between higher adherence rates and improved patient outcomes, along with reductions in healthcare costs.

Dr Valentin Fuster, Director of the Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, said: “Taking medication could significantly reduce patients’ secondary events – potentially improving patient outcomes.”

The European Commission (EC) has approved the expanded use of Novo Nordisk’s Xultophy ® (insulin degludec/liraglutide) in one pen, for adults with type 2 diabetes and moderate renal impairment.

The authorisation for the first oncedaily combination of a long-acting basal insulin (Tresiba® [insulin degludec]), and a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist (Victoza® [liraglutide]), covers all 28 European Union member states, as well as Norway and Iceland.

Renal impairment requires frequent monitoring of blood glucose levels and kidney function.

The approval is based on data from the LIRA-RENAL phase 3b clinical trial, which examined the efficacy and safety of liraglutide, versus placebo, as an add-on to existing diabetes medication in people with type 2 diabetes, with moderate renal impairment.

Insulin degludec/liraglutide is approved for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes to improve glycaemic control in combination with oral glucoselowering medicinal products when these alone, or combined with a GLP-1 receptor agonist or basal insulin, do not provide adequate glycaemic control.

A P P R OVA L S

NOVO NORDISK EURO VISION FOR DIABETES

A P P R OVA L S

NICE to see you Two Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) treatments, will now be routinely available on the NHS. NICE has approved bosutinib, for chronic myeloid leukaemia, when other treatments no longer work, and pemetrexed for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, for use on the NHS. The change materialised following a drop in price by the manufacturers.

NICE has been reviewing the cost and clinical effectiveness of drugs currently in the old CDF since April.

Professor Carole Longson, Director of the Centre for Health Technology Evaluation at NICE, said: “It’s great to see that companies are engaging with our CDF reconsideration process in a constructive way, resulting in these positive recommendations.”

A P P R OVA L S

To see you NICE NICE has recommended Bayer’s EYLEA® (aflibercept) as a cost-effective first-line treatment option for adults with visual impairment.

NICE concluded that aflibercept is more clinically effective than the existing option – laser photocoagulation. The decision means that over 13,000 patients will have access to the treatment. All patients, including those newly diagnosed, will now have access to treatment. This reflects the Royal College of Ophthalmologists treatment guidelines.

Professor Sobha Sivaprasad, Consultant Ophthalmologist, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, said: “This is great news for the clinical community as it means we will be able to offer patients the same opportunity to achieve improvements in vision.”

M AG A ZI N E | O C TO B ER 2016 | 5

NHS

DYNAMIC DOZEN DECIDE DIGITAL DESTINY A dozen NHS hospital trusts will pioneer new ways of using digital technology in the care of patients.

The trusts will be affectionately known as ‘digital exemplars’ and will receive up to £10 million each from NHS England.

It is hoped that the phased approach to digital implementation will inspire a revolution across the health service.

It follows the recommendations of an independent review – published by health IT expert, Professor Bob Wachter – on how the NHS can use technology to improve services.

The 12 ‘digital exemplars’ will deliver a range of initiatives including real time video links between ambulances and emergency departments, electronic detection and alerting of patient deterioration.

The selected trusts are City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust, Salford Royal Hospitals NHS Trust, Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Luton & Dunstable University Hospital NHS Trust, West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.

ABPI

Roche and regulator in rousing reunification

R

oche has rejoined the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) as a full member. Mike Thompson, ABPI CEO, said that the trade association was “absolutely delighted” to see Roche join.

He added: “This is an exciting and critical time for the UK pharmaceutical industry as we face up to a number of challenges, in particular addressing life outside the European Union.

It’s important that the ABPI can provide a coherent and aligned voice for our industry, which represents the views of companies large and small. Therefore, having the world’s largest biotech company sign up to full membership really is a boost and couldn’t have come at a more crucial time.”

Richard Erwin, General Manager, Roche Products, said: “We recognise how important it will be to collaborate with other companies, the NHS and healthcare professionals to ensure that UK patients can get access to world leading healthcare.”

Roche’s UK pharmaceutical business employs around 600 members of staff, to support global and local clinical trials. It is also the world’s largest biotech company and invests £6.6 billion in research and development every year across oncology, immunology, infectious diseases and neuroscience.

With this recent addition, the ABPI now represents nine out of ten of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies.

Pf View: An apparently rosy reconciliation between the industry trade body and one of pharma’s brightest stars gives credibility to industry and, most importantly, confidence to consumers.

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

NEWS

C O P D.

BREATHE EASY

C

hiesi Farmaceutici has presented data from the long-term TRILOGY and TRINITY studies at the Congress of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) in London.

The TRILOGY study – which shows one-year data on the superior efficacy of the first extra fine formulation fixed ICS/LABA/LAMA triple combination for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) treatment compared with standard dual therapy – provides support for the triple combination inhaler.

It will treat long-term COPD and is specifically formulated to deliver extra-fine particles to the lung. The results of a second pivotal trial, the TRINITY study, were also presented during the congress, providing evidence of the superiority of ICS/LABA/ LAMA also against LAMA alone.

M E R G E R S & AC Q U I S I T I O N S

Pfizer’s dedication to Medivation

ZIK A VIRUS

Tapeworm treatment could zap Zika A treatment for tapeworm is among a number of existing drug compounds that could tackle transmission of the Zika virus. A team of researchers from Florida State University (FSU), Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have discovered existing drug compounds that can stop Zika from replicating in the body, and from damaging the foetal brain cells that lead to birth defects in newborn babies.

FSU Professor of Biological Science, Hengli Tang, along with JHU Professors Guo-Li Ming and Hongjun Song, and NIH scientist Wei Zheng, identified two different groups of compounds. One stops the virus from replicating and the other stops the virus from killing foetal brain cells.

Prof Tang said: “We focused on compounds that have the shortest path to clinical use. This is a first step toward a therapeutic that can stop transmission of this disease.” One of the identified compounds is the basis for a U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved drug called Nicolsamide, commonly used to treat tapeworm. The drug showed no danger to pregnant women in the studies.

Pfizer has agreed to buy U.S. cancer drug company Medivation for $14 billion cash.

The deal boosts the pharma giant’s oncology roster by including the blockbuster prostate cancer drug, Xtandi - worth $2.2 billion-a-year.

Sanofi initially bid to buy Medivation for $52.50 per share in April. Pfizer’s deal represents a 118% increase since Reuters reported that Medivation had hired JP Morgan, in March, to handle interest from companies in a potential acquisition.

The move comes four months after Pfizer and Allergan Plc abandoned plans for a merger worth $160 billion. The Medivation deal demonstrates how Pfizer is strengthening its branded drugs portfolio, especially profitable cancer treatments. Its biggest growth driver is a new breast cancer drug, Ibrance.

Pfizer Chief Executive Ian Read said that the Medivation deal was mainly driven by the desire to obtain Xtandi, which generated U.S. net sales of $330.3 million in the second quarter. He also expressed high expectations for Medivation’s experimental drugs for breast cancer and lymphoma – talazoparib and pidilizumab respectively.

The deal has been approved by both boards and, according to Pfizer, should be completed in the third or fourth quarter.

M AG A ZI N E | O C TO B ER 2016 | 7

The UK is poised at the rock face of real world data, but how successfully can it be mined?

WORDS BY I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y

Amy Schofield Alex Buccheri

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

R

eal world evidence (RWE – don’t try and say it) is transforming drug development. The use of large data sets – to determine how new drugs perform – beyond the limited reach of pre-approval clinical trials, helps pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers and payers to determine the safety, efficacy and cost efficiency of a medicine.

All this is can be achieved by extracting real world data from the records of many thousands of patients.

The evidence from data – generated through a range of resources across real life settings, including patient registries, electronic health records, insurance data, the web and social media – has the potential to accelerate the development of innovative medicines. This will transform the existing approach to health and healthcare, by finding out the cost of using a treatment in the real world, and establishing the real pattern of a product’s use during its lifecyle.

But what are the opportunities and benefits to be gained by RWE, what challenges remain, and what part is the UK playing?

A B P I V I E W: L E A D A N D OTH E R S W I L L FO L LOW The UK is viewed as a rich mine of patient data for the collection of RWE. Shahid Hanif, ABPI Head of Health Data and Outcomes, believes the UK occupies a unique position: “As well as having an innovative and thriving research science base, and the internationally-renowned National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the UK is regarded as a great source of patient data for real world evidence research,” he explained. “The NHS has a unique nationwide role in both providing care and collecting health data throughout patients’ lives, which – if used appropriately – could transform that care in the future.”

The report from a RWE workshop, held by the ABPI in partnership with the Academy of Medical Sciences, stated that the UK is at the vanguard of the future direction of RWE: ‘The UK has a very real opportunity to develop leadership in this field, and influence the development of a consistent approach across global regulators and other stakeholders.’

COVER STORY

H O M E A DVA NTAG E Consultant pharmaceutical physician Dr Martin Goldman, from Iatros Consulting, suggests that, despite the concerns about UK pharma post-Brexit, the move could actually consolidate its position as a global centre for the collection of data for RWE. “The UK is the best territory set up for the collection of RWE. It has a number of preexisting databases of healthcare that can yield retrospective information, for example the ‘Yellow Card’ system, and the General Practice Research Database (GPRD),” he said.

A wide range of UK and international organisations currently use or commission research from the GPRD, including the pharmaceutical industry, universities, charities, government departments and the NHS. In addition – due to the nature of some RWE collection methods – this large amount of already-held data gives the UK an additional advantage: “Using more than one language makes for problems and it has always been the case that the ways of recording data in member states is heterogeneous,” added Dr Goldman. “I would envisage the UK becoming a power house for RWE studies, if sponsors have the appetite. Certainly RWE is far more easy to use for home markets. You would only need to deal with one language and one major platform for the delivery of healthcare.”

This mine of UK data is already being used to benefit the nation’s health. “We work closely in collaboration with the NHS, data providers – such as NHS Digital – government and academia to better understand the use of patient data, identifying how it can help improve understanding of the UK population’s health and improve access to the medicines they need,” said the ABPI’s Hanif.

“For the researchers in our companies, this data offers us three benefits; to help develop a greater understanding of a disease and its impact on a patient, identify how to improve the way patients receive their treatment, and show the effectiveness and safety of medicines over time,” he concluded.

In terms of how RWE is being utilised in the real world, Dr Goldman noted that many initiatives were trying to use real world and real time data to evaluate the management of diabetes. “It fits very well with early access to medicines,” Dr Goldman said. “The drug regulators are interested in real world data on drug safety post-approval to evaluate the use of medicines that may have been approved on the basis of limited data.”

G E T TI N G R E A L One of the greatest challenges to optimising the use of RWE is acceptance – getting healthcare professionals to accept the validity of the information gathered and investigating whether it can be used for regulatory purposes.

According to Dr Goldman, one way to do this is by developing guidelines so that results are consistently credible to drug regulators and purchasers. “There needs to be more studies of different designs and more discussion with the purchasers of healthcare, advertising authorities and drug regulators.”

The ABPI, along with the European Medicines Agency and the Food and Drug Administration in the US, recognises the value of using more traditional data alongside RWE. According to Hanif, it is also public confidence which is crucial to the future of RWE research: “None of this is possible

The evidence from data generated through a range of resources across real life settings has the potential to accelerate the development of innovative medicines. without the support, understanding and trust of the public,” he insisted. “For the use of real world evidence to progress, patients need to have control over their data, understand its use, and be reassured that their data is protected, shared and used appropriately.

Only then will patients feel confident that their health information has the power to improve healthcare and medicines for them and future generations.”

The views of Dr Martin Goldman are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Iatros Consulting

M AG A ZI N E | O C TO B ER 2016 | 9

OPINION

Old School Count Rubinstein analyses the cult of ‘being ill’.

WORDS BY

Sit on the radiator for a little while, splash your face with water, speak in a pathetic voice and offer the proposition that you are poorly to two pre-occupied parents.

All to avoid double maths!

Henry Rubinstein

W

e can all recall – after a halcyon summer – the dismal feeling as we climbed into bed, the night before school resumed.

Trying to stay awake to prolong the holiday, ever-hoping that some natural disaster would strike the assembly hall.

It’s easy to recognise the same begrudging posture, as the nation’s workers return after the quiet of August. Gradually the paperwork mounts up and evening engagements – both professional and social – exponentially increase in the run up to Christmas.

As flu season looms, today I’ll be examining ‘sick leave’ – rather an appropriate topic for a magazine focused on healthcare!

I recently read an article in the Daily Mail, on why we needed to clamp down on sick notes. Highlighting research – which claimed that companies lose £29bn to illness each year – the writer advised employers to be far more suspicious. This approach raises my temperature, but it is one which is sadly gaining traction.

I was once struck down with a nasty chest infection – having suffered from bronchial pneumonia in my youth. When I called my employer, however, my situation was met with utter disdain. I could detect an assumption that I was faking it and, as such, received no sympathy whatsoever.

I was told to keep a sharp eye on my emails and ensure I did not fall behind.

Rather than shutting the laptop and recovering I toiled from my sick bed. Indeed, I was so petrified about the disapproval of my boss – who believed in ‘coming into work even if you are dying’ – that I made myself more ill. It spoke volumes about the negative ethos that abounds in some sections of UK business.

Of course, you can play the system. I used to run a terrific racket in four-day weeks during the winter term. Sit on the radiator for a little while, splash your face with water, speak in a pathetic voice and offer the proposition that you are poorly to two pre-occupied parents. All to avoid double maths!

You grow out of that sort of thing. Anyway, it should be easy to gauge when someone is looking to get over their hangover or, heaven forbid, interview for other jobs! Looking at the frequency of an employee’s ‘sick days’ should yield a few clues. Committed, engaged employees will have a very low amount – I average around two days per annum, and in most cases these have involved me being sent home by a concerned line manager.

We need to foster a greater element of trust between employer and employee.

A boss should expect the best from his workforce, but also understand unavoidable eventualities; the employee should respect their employer in turn, working to the peak of their abilities, while not feeling guilty about the basic human right to be ill.

Henry Rubinstein is planning manager at Triggerfish Communications. Go to triggerfish.co.uk

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

F E AT U R E WORDS BY

Amy Schofield

Can ancient needle therapy really turn back time?

Don’t believe the hype: health headlines dissected TH E S TO RY

TH E R E S U LT S

When two researchers at Wuhan University in China were reviewing a couple of published studies – from 2012 and 2013 – which showed that people who had undergone acupuncture performed 10% better in mental tests, they hit upon a new hypothesis. If lower mental test scores are linked with earlier progression of dementia – and acupuncture improves those mental test scores – could the ancient Chinese treatment also slow down its progression?

The review and meta-analysis revealed that those in receipt of acupuncture scored better on two recognised cognition tests than those who took nimodipine alone.

Combining acupuncture and nimodipine also significantly improved scores when compared to the dementia drug alone.

The researchers concluded that acupuncture: ‘has a significant positive effective on cognitive and memory function’.

TH E R E S E A RC H Researchers Min Deng and Xu-Feng Wang conducted a systematic review and metaanalysis of five earlier Chinese studies, which involved 568 patients. All of the trials involved subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a condition which leads to a decline in memory. Around one in 10 people with MCI will go on to develop a form of dementia within a year, usually Alzheimer’s disease.

The review’s aim was to collate the available evidence from previous randomised – or partially-randomised – controlled trials (RCTs), which addressed the safety and efficacy of acupuncture for treating MCI. The trials compared a group who received acupuncture for MCI – on its own or with another treatment – with a control group, which was given another type of active treatment. A group of 288 received acupuncture and 280 people in control groups received nimodipine. Meanwhile, the acupuncture group in two of the trials were also given nimodipine.

GET to the

POINT

TH E D E A L Although the results of the review appear encouraging at first, there were a number of shortcomings which cast doubt on the Daily Mail headline that suggests acupuncture staves off dementia. Only five relatively small studies were included, all in China. No trials used placebo/sham acupuncture, so therefore it must be assumed that both subjects and scientists were aware of the treatment being given, which could introduce bias.

Furthermore, the trials only looked at changes in cognitive test scores, and did not assess whether an outcome of acupuncture treatment – combined with nimodipine or not – actually affected an outcome of diagnosed dementia.

Commenting on the research, Dr James Pickett, head of research at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: ‘The lack of strong and convincing evidence makes it difficult to reach any meaningful conclusions.’

W HAT TH E PR E S S SA I D : ‘Could acupuncture stave off dementia?’

MailOnline; ‘Acupuncture may stop memory loss that precedes dementia’ Telegraph.co.uk ‘Acupuncture prevents memory loss?’

World Report Now

ACUPUNCTURE

5000 HAS BEEN PRACTISED FOR OVER

YEARS Acupuncture needles are as fine as a

HUMAN HAIR

There are over

1000 ‘ACUPOINTS’ ON THE BODY

M AG A ZI N E | O C TO B ER 2016 | 1 1

IN THE N

early 70 years ago when the NHS was established – principally as an urgent care service – the population of Britain was about 47 million. Life expectancy for men was 66 – it’s now 77, infant mortality was 24 per 1000 live births – now down to five, and there were three mass immunisation programmes – that figure is now more like 15.

Since then, starting with the rapid development of antibiotics from the 1940s, through to the advancing of scientific research, healthcare is almost beyond recognition today, as are the demands on the service that delivers it.

With more than half of people over 70 living with at least two long-term illnesses – and a quarter with at least three – it is no surprise that 70% of NHS spending now goes on managing that situation.

As a reflection of this, the NHS that operates today is not the same as the one set up in 1948 – numerous ‘top-down reorganisations’ have tinkered with it, or attempted wholesale change. Some fundamentals do, however, remain – the key one being the NHS’s system of funding.

A taxpayer-funded system, entirely free at the point of use, is a core NHS principal.

1 2 | PH A R M A FI EL D.CO.U K

Few in Britain argue that we need abandon this model entirely, but as with any complex infrastructure, there are no black and white choices, but a range of options within. While we know the NHS lacks funds, and that it has experienced these crises before, it is entirely possible that we have now reached a new low. Nine out of 10 Trusts are spending beyond their budgets, with an overall NHS funding gap of £20bn beckoning, by 2020.

Since most people have some awareness of the current NHS finances, it is astonishing that there hasn’t been a fundamental discussion about what the NHS should provide, what the public’s expectations are of free specialist treatment, and whether it’s ever going to be acceptable to charge for some services.

Indeed, whenever a known treatment or service is not made universally available – the new meningitis B vaccine for example, or various chemotherapy treatments, or GP appointments made at the whim of patients – some feel outrage without hesitation.

Evidently the public do have an opinion.

Headlines in recent weeks lamenting the ‘rationing in the NHS’ and implying that it is something new, highlights the paucity of debate and lack of public awareness.

Specific issues do trigger discussion from time to time, such as the recent survey by the British Dental Association, which revealed that 600,000 people a year seek a free GP appointment for toothache – costing the NHS at least £26 million a year.

If we are so fiercely protective of our NHS, then why is it so politically risky to put forward the case that we all need to pay more for it?

Broadly speaking, however, consumers of NHS services come armed with a culturally inbuilt sense of entitlement with little regard to resource rationing. The latest headlines were triggered by a survey of doctors that found that seven out of 10 had witnessed restriction in approved NHS services and treatments in the past year, mostly for financial reasons.

Rationing of NHS services is not new and takes place across the board. From laboratory to hospital bedside, clinically effective new treatments are often denied entirely to NHS patients or – as this survey found – as a necessary ad hoc reaction to a budget deficit. This is precisely why NICE was set up in 1999 – to reduce variation in the availability of services – and why it continues to regularly make decisions based on cost, denying patients access to potentially worthwhile treatments.

POLITICS

BALANCE N OSTALG IA TI P: CL AU D IA CO N S I G N S S E NTI M E NT TO CLI N I CAL WA STE

T

o be clear – no amount of efficiency savings or structural reorganisations will cut it – more money is needed if we want the same service, let alone an improving one. Or instead, let’s agree that we don’t. But headlines decrying the NHS for ‘forcing’ people to re-mortgage their homes to pay for expensive cancer treatment, while the same paper’s readership consistently refuses to accept any tax increases to fund these treatments, smacks of hypocrisy.

If we are so fiercely protective of our NHS, regularly topping as it does the list of things that make us most proud to be British, then why is it so politically risky to put forward the case that we all need to pay more for it?

And what of the NHS being the envy of the world? True perhaps, for the fondness its customers feel for it, but not in its service delivery or outcomes. Though there are metrics of which the NHS can be proud – our vaccines rates for example – we still fall behind in cancer, stroke and heart disease survival rates.

When researchers make scientific breakthroughs, unearth new technologies and unlock genetic secrets with the aim of developing long sought after cures, they want to see them benefit patients, and we want them for our families.

So, if you were that researcher, that scientist striving for the next big discovery, would you want your industry to engage with this wide debate? When your operation is delayed or your wife/husband refused treatment, do you want your political representatives to lead in helping us to understand why the NHS makes these decisions and consider what alternatives there may be?

The pharmaceutical industry should absolutely be doing all it can to reduce the prices it charges for medicines and increase the value they deliver. But should pharma also drive forward the message that the incredible improvement in healthcare that has transformed our lives – and in which it has played no small part – can continue at an everincreasing rate, only if we are willing to pay more for it?

The discovery of new vaccines, diagnostics, medical technologies and medicines is in all of our interest. If we want GP surgeries to be open at all hours, hospitals to offer operations at weekends and equal access to the best medicines when we fall ill, we might even conclude that we are willing to handover more of our personal and national wealth to help the NHS deliver it.

Claudia Rubin is a Government Affairs Strategist at Decideum. Go to decideum.com

Claudia recklessly stares into the NHS’s dilapidated purse WORDS BY

Claudia Rubin

POOR

HEALTH UK IS ONLY DEVELOPED EUROPEAN COUNTRY EXPERIENCING SUCH A

RAPID

DECELERATION

6.6% Projected decline to

by 2021

SPENDING ON HEALTH AS A SHARE OF GDP IN 2014-15 – 7.3%

SINCE 1948 NHS spend grew by an average of 3.7% a year

SINCE 2010 it averages only

0.9% M AG A ZI N E | O C TO B ER 2016 | 13

KNIGHT CLUB

JP meets a man who went from filling dance floors to filling pharma jobs INTERVIEW BY

I

John Pinching

’m in the house – in da coffee house, if you will – with dance music purveyor Andreas Knight. He’s a Chase veteran and has proved to be one of the best ‘recruitment DJs’ in the biz, mixing streetwise tenacity with industry passion.

candidates return to me exclusively and rely on me to secure their next career move, because they remember the positive service they received in the first place. It also means they tell other people that want to develop a career in our industry.

JP How’s that cup of tea, Andreas?

As always, it’s hitting the mark. I’m a big fan of Yorkshire tea.

JP What is the key to inspiring confidence in candidates? The unique aspect of Chase is its insistence on meeting all candidates face-to-face. Not all agencies do that – it’s the missing part of the jigsaw which we provide.

We have nine consultants based regionally, throughout the UK, and this gives candidates fast and easy access to their local consultant.

My area is north of the Thames, taking in London, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Essex and East Anglia. We also have someone specialising in graduate sales recruitment – which is a really fast-growing market.

JP What’s the story with your name?

Most people think I’m Greek. When they meet me, however, it’s clear I’m not! My mother is actually Swiss, and it’s quite a popular name there. Years ago my dad would take me to Switzerland in his E-Type Jag – the journey was 600 miles, without a seatbelt.

I wouldn’t dream of doing that with my kids!

JP How long have you been in the driving seat at Chase? I’ve been here nine years and I absolutely love it – I wouldn’t want to do anything else.

JP That’s quite a tribute. What’s so great about it? Due to my longevity,

1 4 | PH A R M A FI EL D.CO.U K

JP What does your job involve on a daily basis? A few times a week I’ll meet up with candidates. It’s a vital opportunity to establish what makes them tick, check out their experience and, above all, find out what I can do to help them. If someone

is a bit nervous about interviews, I’m there to ensure they are equipped to handle an assessment process and, ultimately, do the job. Essentially, it’s a coaching role – I’m imparting wisdom about what pharmaceutical companies require. Virtually everyone I meet wants to work in the industry for life, so trust is very important.

JP In recent years have you seen the profile of candidates change? We have witnessed the emergence of Key Account Managers and some companies have been very good at upskilling employees and giving them more exposure to the wider health economy. These people are very competent at dealing with decision makers across the NHS and, consequently, the quality of people coming through the door has increased. We are also seeing greater numbers of people with life sciences degrees, who want to take that first step into pharma.

JP In contrast to the media’s perception, are the candidates you encounter driven by a desire to help people? The mission of every pharma company is to put the patient

COFFEE BRE AK

The mission of every pharma company is to put the patient first and that approach must filter down into the workforce.

first and that approach must filter down into the workforce. When I have a candidate in front of me, I have to ask myself, ‘has this person really got the patient in mind?’ The vast majority are focussed on the patient, and the NHS, and genuinely do want to make a difference.

JP How important is depth of knowledge in modern pharma? You have to do your research if you want to be successful. You have to know how industry functions, but also what the NHS is all about – how you fit into that equation and what skills you have that are transferable. You’ve then got to be able to meet doctors and other key stakeholders with a proposition that will fit into their agenda and make their life easier.

JP What’s been the highlight of your career at Chase? There have been many highlights, however, I’m delighted that in 2016 I have successfully helped more candidates than ever before to find their next role in pharma. The fact that my peers voted me as CHASE Consultant of the Year in 2013 and 2014 also gave me great satisfaction.

JP Are you motivated by the Chase ethos?

Yes absolutely. Across the team we regularly share information and best practice. I’m always there to help colleagues with advice about individual company processes and market intelligence. As a team we agreed on our Values – Respect & Integrity, Passionate & Proactive, Consultative & Personalised, Uncompromising in Excellence – and we all do our very best to bring these to life every day.

JP Needless to say, you were a fine dance floor-recruiter. For one gig I was above Judge Jules on the bill, and played to 700 clubbers. In 1989 I even met Norman Cook (aka Fatboy Slim) at a music conference in New York. It was just after he left the Housemartins and before releasing Dub Be Good to Me. He invited me to a club and, when I arrived, he was DJ-ing in the corner to 15 people. The rest is history!

JP Are you excited by the recent investment in the company? It’s great news as it takes Chase into a new era. It makes us stronger and able to offer even more to clients and candidates, while also maintaining the Chase culture and proposition.

JP That seems a very appropriate way of completing the set. Goodbye Andreas.

Bye John.

Go to chasepeople.com

JP What record would you choose for the soundtrack of your life? If I had to choose one track I think it would be Renegade Master by Wild Child. Funny you should ask that because, before I got into recruitment, I was a nightclub DJ. It was when house music really started taking off, and I had a residency at a club in Henley and then another in Cheltenham.

M AG A ZI N E | O C TO B ER 2016 | 15

Access all areas?

Pricing, access, transparency – the common denominators which draw the sectors together and often tear them apart WORDS BY

John Pinching

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

P

harma pricing, medicine access and data transparency are the tags subliminally graffitied across every medical institution, hospital and government building across the UK. Indeed, I was at the Westminster Health Forum in Central London for a frank discussion on these three ubiquitous subjects.

Proceedings were reassuringly held together by a ‘Churchill’ – in this case, Jo, MP for Bury St Edmunds. She is a proper politician whose two battles with cancer inspired her to make a difference. “It is so important that patient outcomes lie at the heart of all decision-making,” she insisted.

Among the speakers was Nicole Mather – Director of the Office for Life Sciences. She seemed optimistic about the post-Brexit scene. “The UK is a magnet for life sciences and we are the best in the world in the area of genomics,” she said. “GSK is still investing £350m in their Cambridge development and the message we have to the world is ‘Britain is open for business’.”

She clearly stated that the Accelerated Access Review would not be changed

as a result of leaving the EU and that it would be focussing on collaboration between the NHS and innovators to create a vision that works for patients. She also emphasised that the collection of data on patient outcomes would be the first step in building a new strategy.

On the subject of evolution, Dr Ian Hudson, Chief Executive, Medicines and Healthcare Products and Regulatory Agency, outlined some of the challenges: “We should be developing innovation appropriately to bring products to market, while maximising development opportunities.”

He also recommended the greater use of real world data monitoring, adding: “Early access should be weighed up against the risk and knowledge of a product.”

Meanwhile, Professor Gary Ford, Chief Executive, Oxford Academic Health Science Network, raised the subject of pricing. “We need to have another look at prescription charges. Why should a 20-year-old with asthma pay for a prescription, when a 61-year-old Chief Executive pays nothing?”

This was perhaps the best ‘counter’ argument I have ever heard.

E VENTS & CONFERENCES

We need to have another look at prescription charges. Why should a 20-year-old with asthma pay for a prescription, when a 61-year-old Chief Executive pays nothing?

Professor Gary Ford, Chief Executive, Oxford Academic Health Science Network

Julian Given is Chief Officer, Washington Community Health Care (GP federation) and Project Manager, City and Vale Alliance (CAVA, GP Federation)

VIEW FROM THE EXPERT

A

“There is not much data on ‘appropriate prescriptions’ – are patients getting the right drugs?” he inquired. “More patients need to be involved in decision making.”

Professor Karl Claxton from the University of York is a sort of punk rock Professor of Economics, with an earring and a refreshingly defiant pro-pharma chorus.

“There is a discrepancy between global changes and what the NHS is prepared to pay,” he rallied. “NICE does assessments well, but it is not enough. Innovative medicines are still rejected or thrown into the Cancer Drugs Fund.”

He was adamant that there was a solution: “Discounts impact on the global market and manufacturers must be protected.

Early uptake should be incentivised, innovations should be rewarded and rebates removed. We have an opportunity to repair the system – patients, clinicians and pharma can all win.”

And Karl’s right – his argument strikes at the beatless heart of a ‘Poundland’ Britain where short term tat is preferred to long-term quality. Desperately bartering with pharma companies, even after a considerable discount, is not going to endear them to research and develop in the UK. In contrast, paying a fair price has longterm healthcare, but also socio-economic benefits, which – in the blur of austerity – politicians would do well to recognise.

ccess to medicine has always been variable from CCG to CCG. Now there is a focus on what is termed ‘rationing’, which started with the failed attempt – by New Devon CCG in 2014 – to restrict surgery to smokers and the overweight, until patients had made health improvement gains.

This has now re-emerged with CCGs looking at areas that ‘can only be paid for by the local NHS in certain restricted circumstances’, which includes surgery for sleep apnoea and hysterectomy for heavy menstrual bleeding. Meanwhile, North Staffordshire CCG has decided not to routinely fund hearing aids for patients with 'mild' hearing loss.

As the 44 Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) footprints mature – with their planning documents being published this year – we are likely to see more uniformity across STP constituent CCGs in terms of medicine access.

One of the main objectives of the STPs is for all sectors of health and social care to work closer together, with the view of delivering cost savings and better care for patients and, if this is to be achieved, data transparency and sharing has to be key. Currently, patient data between secondary care, primary care, social care and other patient-facing services is not always routinely shared.

Although many remember the recent failure of Care.data, a successor – currently known as the new ‘digital services platform’ – is being taken forward with a view to bridging this gap of information continuity. With the phasing out of Read Codes, and the move across to the SnoMed coding system – which has the ability to be used by primary, secondary and social care – the direction of travel is only one way.

Meanwhile, with the change in focus moving to collaborative working between partner organisations, pharma pricing is going away from the old style view of ‘what is the cheapest product’ – which simply protected the medicines management budget – to now looking at the financial impact on the whole system. Therefore, a slightly more expensive product, which is more efficacious, easier for the patient to administer and supports improved patient compliance would, perhaps, be considered more favourably than it may have been in the past.

M AG A ZI N E | O C TO B ER 2016 | 17

OPINION

Smartie counter revolution It’s about time pharmacists were given the chance to show what they can do WORDS BY

Niamh McMillan

I

t’s no secret that the job description of a community pharmacist has changed dramatically over the last few decades and it looks like it will continue in the light of changes to the funding package.

In December 2015 the Department of Health announced that the pharmacy contractual framework for England in 2016-2017 will be no higher than £2.63bn – a reduction of 6.1% on the previous financial year.

At the time the DH anticipated that these reductions would take effect from October this year. It was delayed, however, to allow the new Prime Minister, Theresa May, and newly appointed pharmacy minister, David Mowat, time to review the policy.

This came as a relief to many pharmacy contractors who were understandably nervous about the prospect of cuts.

On 14 September the Department of Health broke the news to pharmacy stakeholders that the funding package for community pharmacy in England will be implemented in December this year. At the moment it is still unclear where the ‘cuts’ will come from, which means a lot of very nervous contractors in the interim.

It’s disappointing to see the funding cuts, especially given that the role of a community pharmacist and community pharmacy in general is often misunderstood.

It’s disappointing to see the funding cuts, especially given that the role of a community pharmacist and community pharmacy in general is often misunderstood. Pharmacists and the wider pharmacy team do a lot more than ‘count Smarties’ – we are uniquely qualified experts in medicine and the services that we provide are invaluable to the local community.

The commissioned ‘Medicines Use Reviews’ for example – although having had lots of bad press in recent months – are invaluable to patients and need to be encouraged. I can’t count the number of times I’ve reviewed a patient’s inhaler technique only to find that it was completely wrong and had never been assessed during their annual asthma reviews!

Or, that a patient with type 2 diabetes has gastro-intestinal side effects, which could be minimised by titrating the dose slower or switching to modified release.

There are so many ways that we can add value and positively impact patient care by having the time to sit down and talk to the patient about their medication. It’s only then that they really talk to you about the problems they are experiencing with their medicines.

Our profession is evolving! We will be continuing to move from behind the dispensary to the forefront of the pharmacy to deliver vital clinical services. I just hope that the new funding model will embrace and allow a new pharmacist revolution – we shall see!

Niamh is Clinical Development Manager at Superdrug. Please note, these are Niamh’s personal views and do not necessarily reflect those of the Superdrug business.

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

ADVERTORIAL

IT HAS TO BE YOU LOOKING FOR THAT PROMOTION? STRIVING FOR SUCCESS? WANT AN OUTSTANDING CAREER? Words by Rachel Burton

FO U R S TE P S TO S U CC E S S

Who is going to gain recognition, reward and achievement? Can you really leave it to someone or something else?

Employment has changed. The offer for ‘Baby Boomers’ – born in the 50s & 60s – from their employers, was a ‘job for life’.

Consequently, it was in the employer’s interest to push high-quality training, as they would have a lifetime to see a return on the investment (ROI).

The modern contract is a ‘job for now’, meaning that ‘Millennials’ – born in the 80s & 90s – have to compete for developmental opportunities. As a result, ROI may not be realised until the individual has left!

This means you are responsible for your own learning and development.

You must make things happen.

Step 1 The Future: The most important consideration for career is working out where you are trying to get.

“What is important to me over the next five years?”

Your answers could include responsibility, autonomy, recognition or freedom. This informs your next question: “What qualities do I need?”

List out 5 to 10 qualities – such as leadership, management skills or sales success – which are directly aligned to your desired future.

Step 2 The Present: Once you know what you want to achieve, the next consideration is to honestly audit your current situation. How would you, your peers or manager evaluate your skills?

“How well do I demonstrate my qualities?”

This question asks – not about knowledge or skills – but how well you demonstrate them. Score yourself 1 to 10 against each quality – bank the high marks and let them inform your future.

Step 3 The Gap: From the ranked list you can also highlight where you are scoring lower. These are gaps in how you are performing, compared to your ideal state.

“Which of these gaps are holding me back?”

Meaningful training and development planning should be focused on seeking learning opportunities, which help you fill in gaps on your way to achieving ambitions.

Step 4 The Resource: Learning opportunities should be explored with a manager or mentor.

Formal workshops can be valuable, but are a small fraction of what is available. Meanwhile, there is a wealth of free learning through on-the-job experience or online courses.

“What resources will help me improve under-developed qualities?”

With an ambitious career goal in mind, clear developmental milestones planned and resources available, success becomes inevitable!

More information: rachel.burton @excel-communications.com Go to excel-communincations.com

M AG A ZI N E | O C TO B ER 2016 | 19

CAREER ADVICE

Five hobbies that make hiring managers sit up & take notice WORDS BY

T

here’s no doubt that hobbies can make you more employable. Employers see your interests outside work as a valuable indicator of who you really are. While your experience, education and skills are of course important, your interests tell your potential employer a lot about you and can even make you stand out against a competitor with similar credentials, bagging you the all-important interview.

Alice Kirkland, Design & Marketing Executive at pharma, healthcare and biotech recruitment firm Carrot Pharma, says that listing your interests is an essential part of writing your CV. “Hobbies and interests can tell a future employer a lot about a candidate, as well as giving them an insight into how well they’ll fit into their team, and so should always be included on any CV. Hiring managers are nosy people and they want to see what candidates get up to in their spare time.”

Julie Bishop, founder of Jobhop.co.uk, says: “If you are a person of many hobbies, it shows an employer that you’re agile enough to turn your hand to anything.

“Hobbies give another dimension to you, and employers like that, especially because those skills you learn from your hobby can help you within the work environment.”

Alice warns against listing generic hobbies, however, such as “socialising” or “watching TV”.

2 0 | PH A R M A FI EL D.CO.U K

Amy Schofield

While your experience, education and skills are important, your interests tell your potential employer a lot about you and can make you stand out.

“Having these hobbies on an application won’t help to sell you to the company. Instead, this section should be used to showcase how much of a diverse, well-rounded person you are and that you do actually have a life outside work. Plus, people with lots of hobbies tend to be more personable, more willing to learn new skills and are often up for a challenge.”

Employers recognise that different hobbies give you a range of additional skills. “Let’s take rock climbing, football and photography, three completely different hobbies, but each one gives you an array of skills,” says Julie. “Endurance, strength, teamwork, creativity, patience, trust, management, time-keeping, critical thinking, perseverance and more. ” It doesn’t matter if you’ve been doing something for years, or whether you’ve just taken it up. “Explaining to an employer that you’ve just started a hobby shows that you’re not afraid of starting something new, especially if it’s a tough one like rock climbing, for example,” says Julie. “Hobbies make you more attractive to employers.”

H E R E ’ S W H AT YO U R H O B B I E S TE L L YO U R P OTE NTI A L E M P LOY E R A B O U T YO U : 1. Endurance sports: Sporting activities such as long-distance running, cycling, or swimming show that you possess great drive and that you don’t easily give up.

2. E xtreme sports: Hobbies such as skydiving, mountain biking or white water rafting demonstrate that you don’t dwell in your comfort zone and that you’re willing to push the boundaries of what others believe is possible.

3. Team games: Taking part in team activities including tennis, netball, or football shows that you have commitment, dependability and the ability to work with others. “Great if the position they’re looking to fill requires a lot of teamwork,” says Alice.

4. Creative pursuits: Being creative in your leisure time, whether it’s drawing, photography, or knitting, proves that you have a creative mind which is able to approach problems in an imaginative and original way to find innovative solutions.

This applies even if the job you’re applying for is not in an obviously ‘creative’ field.

5. Strategic games: Playing chess or spending quiet time doing the crossword highlights a strategic mindset.

When you’re next updating your CV, spend some extra time highlighting your hobbies and see the difference it makes.

Reach new career highs with PharmaJobs.

RISE UP. All the best jobs and recruiters in one place. Find your next role, get career advice and gain industry insights.

Start your rise to the top today!

PHARMAJOBS.CO.UK

W H E R E TA L E N T G R O W S

The 2017 Pf Awards are now open The Pf Awards are now in their 17th year and are recognised as the largest sales awards in the UK Pharmaceutical and Medical Device industry.

K E Y DATE S FO R YO U R D IA RY: MON DAY 2 3 JA N UA RY 2 017

TH U R S DAY 2 M A RCH 2 017

TH U R S DAY 9 M A RCH 2 017

Deadline for entries in 2017 Pf Awards

Assessment Day, King Power Stadium, Leicester

Pf Awards Dinner, Lancaster London Hotel

For more information visit

S I LV E R S P O N S O R S

SPONSORS

P FAWA R D S . C O. U K

or contact the events team on 01462 476120

# P FAWA R D S 2 0 17

P H A R M ATA L E N T

AWA R D W I N N E R S :

Where are they now?

JP talks to Oliver Barnett about his personal quest for the ultimate glory INTERVIEW BY

D

John Pinching

riven by an insatiable appetite for success, Oliver was hell bent on claiming a Pf Award, and in 2009, he did just that

Who were you working for at the time?

Johnson and Johnson ETHICON Biosurgery.

What award did you win?

New Representative Award 2009.

What are your recollections of that evening? We had a relatively small presence that evening as our business sold one pharma product, alongside medical devices. It was inspiring to see and hear the achievements of all of the different winners and a privilege to win an award and share a stage with those individuals.

How did you celebrate? We enjoyed the evening, but when I got home the following day and it sunk in what the award meant, it seemed almost rude not to celebrate again. Funnily enough I have only just replaced the large TV I used the award vouchers to purchase!

Once the champagne had settled, how did you change? I think winning gave me a greater belief in my abilities. It’s one thing to win your first sales award, but to be invited to the Pf Awards assessment centre, complete the three tasks and then on the night be recognised – not just for your achievements – but also how you approach your work, really adds to your confidence.

Did you become more ambitious?

After my first year of sales I had notched up two out of three main sales awards – but I didn’t win the big Pf Award. From then on I was absolutely determined to be number one. It played a part in my mentality as a sales person, drove my competitiveness and led to me winning two more sales awards in the following two years.

How did it impact on your career?

I believe it certainly raised my profile within the company and has significantly impacted where I am today.

What was your next position? I went on to a UK Marketing role, then relocated to Eastern Europe for further marketing and leadership experience. I’ve since returned to the UK and taken on sales management, and am currently in an EMEA marketing role.

Would you recommend entering the Pf Awards? Absolutely. The evening still holds really fond memories for me. I thought I’d lost my award several years ago during a house move, which drove me crazy, as it was a reminder of those fine achievements.

Fortunately, it turned up in one of many unopened boxes and has spent the last few years proudly on display in my office.

Go to pfawards.co.uk Night fever: Oliver was so thrilled to win an award he celebrated twice Suits you: The victory in 2009 has seen Oliver’s career flourish ever since

M AG A ZI N E | O C TO B ER 2 01 6 | 2 3

P H A R M ATA L E N T

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

Amy Schofield

2 4 | PH A R M A FI EL D.CO.U K

CHRIS MOLLOY

DR OLIVIER DANOS

Chris Molloy will join the Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC) as its first Chief Executive Officer. Currently CEO at the RSA Group, Molloy has more than 25 years’ experience in the life science industry under his belt. His remit is to develop its initial five-year business plan.

Biotech company TxCell has engaged Dr Olivier Danos – pioneer in gene therapy for neurological disorders – to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).

Dr Danos is Senior Vice President of Cell and Gene Therapy at Biogen and a worldleading expert in the field of gene therapy for haematological and neurological diseases.

BECKY PAUL

Ashfield welcomes Becky Paul as Head of the Commercial Contact Centre for Ashfield Commercial business in the UK. She has successfully held a number of key roles at Ashfield since joining the company seven years ago. She will be responsible for operational delivery as well as inputting overall strategy and development.

LEO PHARMA RESEARCH

LOUISE HOUSON

FOUNDATION AWARDS

Louise Houson has taken on the role of MSD’s Managing Director for the UK and Ireland.

Houson brings 18 years of experience at MSD to the role, previously leading MSD’s Human Health business in Ireland. She succeeds Mike Nally, who will become the president of MSD’s global vaccines business.

Dr Amaya Virós and Dr Thomas Wiesner have been rewarded for the valuable strides they have made in skin research.

The Gold LEO Pharma Research Foundation Award went to Dr Viros, while Dr Weisner picked up Silver.

LARS FRUERGAARD JØRGENSEN AND JACOB RIIS

Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen – currently Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate Development at Novo Nordisk – is to succeed Lars Rebien Sørensen as President and Chief Executive Officer at the beginning of January 2017. Sørensen will retire from the company by the end of 2016.

Jakob Riis, currently Executive Vice President and Head of Region China, Pacific & Marketing, has been appointed Executive Vice President and Head of North America Operations.

JAMERE JACKSON, JOSHUA SMILEY, ANAT ASHKENAZI

Jamere Jackson (top), joins the Board of Directors of Eli Lilly and Company this month. Jackson is currently Chief Financial Officer at Nielsen, which he joined in 2014. As a member of Lilly’s board, he will serve on the Audit and Finance committees.

Meanwhile, Joshua Smiley (above, left), begins his tenure as Senior Vice President, Finance, and Treasurer at Eli Lilly and Company this month. Smiley replaces Thomas Grein, who retired in September after a 41-year career at the company.

Anat Ashkenazi (above, right) takes Smiley’s former role as Senior Vice President, Finance, and Controller and Chief Financial Officer for Lilly Research Laboratories. She previously served as Vice president, Finance, and Chief Financial Officer for Lilly Manufacturing, Global Quality and Lilly Diabetes.

TODD GALLES

Durbin, specialist medical suppliers and distributors of pharmaceuticals, has appointed Todd Galles as its Business Development Principal in the US. Mr Galles will be working to develop and grow Durbin’s client portfolio in the country.

DR LEVI GARRAWAY

Dr Levi Garraway is to join Lilly as senior vice president, Global Development & Medical Affairs, for Lilly’s Oncology business. He is a world leader in the analysis of cancer genomics and resistance to targeted therapies. Dr Garraway will succeed Dr Richard Gaynor early next year.

M AG A ZI N E | O C TO B ER 2016 | 2 5

P H A R M ATA L E N T

What we do is only of real value when it leads to better patient outcomes – everything else is just stepping stones in between.

GSK’s Claus Jepsen has mentored many talented people during a two-decade career, but who is his guiding star?

INTERVIEW BY

Amy Schofield

Q What do you do? I am the Global Commercial Lead for Benlysta (belimumab) – a systemic lupus medicine. My team is responsible for establishing a global commercial strategy for local implementation. A critical part of this is harnessing the key learnings and best practice we collect, ensuring that we continue supporting patients, living with lupus worldwide, to the highest standard possible.

Q How long have you been in pharma?

I started working in the industry as a national sales manager in Denmark over 20 years ago.

During my last 13 years at GSK, I have had the opportunity to work on three different continents in several countries – from Denmark to Vietnam to the US – and across a range of therapeutic areas including neurosciences, respiratory and now immuno-inflammation.

2 6 | PH A R M A FI EL D.CO.U K

ADVERTORIAL

Q What are your career highs and milestones? I am proud to be part of an organisation that is committed to developing innovative new medicines and making them as accessible as possible, so more patients can benefit, no matter where they live in the world.

A great example of this is in my current role – there is currently no other approved medicine for lupus, so we have a unique opportunity with Benlysta to help meet an unmet need for patients.

Q What drives you? I’m motivated to solve difficult problems in a way that will bring real benefit to patients. I’m a firm believer that what we do is only of real value when it leads to better patient outcomes – everything else is just stepping stones in between. I’m also passionate about nurturing and developing talent. I love to coach and mentor my colleagues and was incredibly proud to develop a candidate to succeed me as General Manager in Vietnam.

Q What’s the best piece of careers advice you’ve ever been given?

Activate the power of the organisation and learn from the experience of others.

There is an endless amount of knowledge and resource at our fingertips within GSK, whether learning from colleagues or via training, and we shouldn’t be afraid to use this to our advantage.

Q How do you turn the challenges you face into opportunities? Working in such a highly-regulated industry we face continuous challenges, particularly in relation to how we engage with healthcare professionals, which is increasingly attracting scrutiny from governments and regulators. At GSK, we’ve now evolved our commercial operating model in a way that we believe will help us better meet the needs of healthcare professionals and patients.

Q What changes have you made?

Firstly, we’ve removed any perceived conflict of interest between GSK and

prescribers by stopping payments to external healthcare professionals, for speaking on our behalf about our prescription medicines. Secondly, we are investing in new digital ways of engaging with healthcare professionals to maximise our customer experience and build trust – interacting when, how and where they want it.

Q What do you see as the current state of the pharma industry?

The industry has become more complex over the past few years and, therefore, to successfully bring medicines to market, we need to be nimble and efficient, continually reviewing and adapting our ways of working to ensure we meet the changing expectations of our customers and society as a whole.

The changes to our operating model have been challenging to introduce, but they’re now fully embedded globally and there are strong indications that our new patient and healthcare professionalcentric approach is working well.

Q What advice would you give to a person entering the pharma sales industry now? Be clear on why you want to enter the industry and never lose sight of that. For me, the guiding star will always be the patient and the knowledge that what we are doing is making a real difference to each individual.

Q What does the future hold for GSK and your role within it?

Our pipeline in immuno-inflammation is very promising. In lupus, we are currently progressing with the development of a subcutaneous formulation of Benlysta which, if approved, will provide an alternative treatment approach for some patients.

Outside lupus, we also have a broad portfolio of innovative immunemodulating therapies in clinical development across a range of diseases, focused on trying to alter the course of disease and induce sustainable remission for patients. Go to gsk.com

DEVELOPS CAPABILITIES TO TRANSFORM PERFORMANCE D E Vare E L delighted O P S C A Pto A Bannounce ILITIES T O We the DTERVAENLSOF P SR M C APPEARBF IOL R I TMI E Oof AS N CT EO opening our US office in the D EA VN E LSO P SR M C APPEARBFIO L IRTM I EASN TC O TR FO E Philadelphia TRANSF O R M P E R Farea.

ORMANCE

We are delighted to announce the This further enhances our ability to Weopening are delighted to announce of our US office in thethe We are delighted to announce the deliver exceptional capability opening of our US office in the Philadelphia area. opening of our US office in and the interventions within the US Philadelphia area.

Philadelphia beyond.

We enhances currentlyarea. haveability worked This further our to in 35 countries delivering in localto This further enhances our ability deliver exceptional capability This further enhances our ability language withwithin circa the 40 clients. deliver exceptional capability interventions US and to deliver exceptional capability interventions within have the US and beyond.

We currently worked interventions within US and At our teamthe of highly beyond.

We currently have in 35Cormis countries delivering inworked local beyond.

We with currently have industry experts language circa 40 clients. inexperienced 35 countries delivering inworked local inlanguage 35 countries delivering in local design and tailored withdeliver circa 40 clients. language with circa clients. solutions and bespoke content At Cormis our team40 of highly for your specific needsofexperts which experienced industry At Cormis our team highly Atdesign Cormis our team tailored of highly and deliver combines cutting-edge theory with experienced industry experts experienced industry expertsfor solutions and content real-world practice. design andbespoke deliver tailored design andbespoke deliver your and specific needstailored which for solutions content combines cutting-edge theory with solutions and bespoke content for Cormis is derived from the Latin for your specific needs which practice. yourreal-world specific needs which “connecting minds” which is central combines cutting-edge theory with combines cutting-edge to our philosophy oftheory activewith real-world practice.

Cormis is derivedand from the Latin for real-world practice. engagement our unique “connecting minds” which is central approach.

Cormisimmersion is derived from the Latin for to our philosophy of active Cormis is derived from the for “connecting minds” which isLatin central andabout our unique “connecting minds” which is central Toengagement find more Cormis to ourout philosophy of active immersion approach. to our philosophy ofservices active Partnership and engagement andour our unique engagement and our please contact usunique at: immersion approach.

To find out moreapproach. about Cormis immersion Partnership and our services contact@cormispartnership.com To findplease out more about Cormis contact us at: To find&out about Cormis formore our team Partnership andUS our services Partnership and ourusservices contact.usa@cormispartership.com please contact at: contact@cormispartnership.com please contact us at: & for our US team www.cormispartnership.com contact@cormispartnership.com contact.usa@cormispartership.com contact@cormispartnership.com & for our US team & for our US team contact.usa@cormispartership.com www.cormispartnership.com contact.usa@cormispartership.com www.cormispartnership.com www.cormispartnership.com

M AG A ZI N E | O C TO B ER 2016 | 2 7

E VENTS & CONFERENCES

DEAR DIARY

Up-and-coming pharma events for your diary

18 -19 O C TO B E R 2 016

Evidence USA 2016 WHERE: Philadelphia WHO: Health Network

Communications Info INFO: bit.ly/295fDQ0 CONTACT: 020 7092 1000 or customerservices@ healthnetworkcommunications.com

DON' T MISS

3 O C TO B E R 2 016

18 -19 O C TO B E R 2 016

The Primary Care Women’s Health Forum Conference

The Role of AHSN (Academic Health Science Network)

Market Access USA 2016

WHERE: Birmingham

WHO: Health Network

WHO: Morph Consultancy

The Primary Care Women’s Health Forum (PCWHF) has been launched to specifically address the needs of healthcare professionals caring for millions of women in primary care in the UK today.

The Primary Care Women’s Health Forum has survived the shuffling of organisational boundaries into clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and local authorities. Now, through its membership and its sixth annual conference, it aims to ensure Women’s Health stays firmly on the agendas of commissioning organisations by championing and sharing the very best practice it can.

CONTACT: 07581358272 or

Communications Info INFO: bit.ly/295ivfO CONTACT: 020 7092 1000 or customerservices@ healthnetworkcommunications.com

2 3 N OV E M B E R 2 016 WHERE: Solihull WHO: Primary Care Women's

Health Forum INFO : pcwhf.co.uk CONTACT: 01462 476120 or daniela@events4healthcare.com

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

INFO: morphconsultancy.co.uk

claire@morphconsultancy.co.uk

WHERE: Philadelphia

5 - 6 O C TO B E R 2 016

21 O C TO B E R 2 016

Pharma Compliance Congress 2016

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

WHERE: London

WHERE: Leeds

WHO: Health Network

WHO: Morph Consultancy

Communications Info INFO: bit.ly/292Y0PU CONTACT: 020 7092 1000 or customerservices@ healthnetworkcommunications.com

INFO: morphconsultancy.co.uk CONTACT: 07581358272 or

claire@morphconsultancy.co.uk

5 - 6 O C TO B E R 2 016

2 6 -2 7 O C TO B E R 2 016

DigiPharm 2016

World BioData Congress 2016

WHERE: London

WHERE: Cambridge

WHO: Health Network

WHO: Health Network

Communications Info INFO: bit.ly/295fDQ0 CONTACT: 020 7092 1000 or customerservices@ healthnetworkcommunications.com

Communications Info INFO: bit.ly/29b4MXT 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

#PROJECT NOW

Do you have a project you’ve always wanted to start or an important action you wish to take but never got around to doing? #ProjectNow is a 30 day email programme, packed full of helpful tips, daily planners and encouragement to get you started on your next project, adventure or important action.

It’s completely free to sign-up and we’ll be with you every step of the way, embarking on our own projects at the same time.

To sign up simply visit www.carrotpharma.co.uk/project-now-1

EXCLUSIVE ROLES We are currently recruiting for a number of roles across the UK:

HOSPITAL SPECIALIST MARKETING KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER

MARKET ACCESS SALES MANAGEMENT NEW TEAM BUILD

To find out why we’re #distinctlydifferent and to discuss any of our live vacancies call Ben Chadwick on 01625 541 040 or email ben@carrotrg.co.uk We’ve got a brand new Medical Devices/ Healthcare Sales division!

Call Rowan Day 01625 541 038

find your happy