IPI Spring 2020

Editor's Letter At the start of 2020, I am sure not many people would have predicted that our world would be on lock-down due to Covid-19. I am an eternal optimist and I am very sure something good will come out of this. Already, positive things are starting to show – the climate is fighting back with air quality better over Europe due to the decreased activity in the aviation industry. I do wonder if now could be a very good time to look at a plan B. The current crisis is unearthing serious supply chain issues, which is why there must be more stringent sustainability, especially when it comes to healthcare and enabling patients to get the best treatment available. Bill Treneman at UPC Cambridge explains how driving R&D towards 2020 and waging war on carbon, we have seen AstraZeneca want to become carbon-neutral by 2025 – is this possible?

Rich Quelch at Origin talks about understanding the health dimensions of the climate crisis as, according to a Lancet report, spending on climate change adaption is falling way short of the $100 billion a year commitment made under the Paris agreement. One area that is being highlighted during these times is people’s lungs. Today, around 235 million people are living with asthma: Sven Stegemann at ACG and Graz University of Technology highlights rethinking inhaler systems from a patient perspective – the increasing challenge of technology diversity. Charlotte Harris at Team Consulting, Cambridge, UK says that there are five questions you should ask when developing an inhalation device, to seek to develop the right device and ensure you have a product that is going to last the test of time. Also, at this time of highlighting the amazing support that caregivers give, it is fantastic to hear that more than

half a million volunteers signed up for the NHS to help the vulnerable. Mindy Gruba at Signant Health highlights the hidden heroes behind the patients who have cancer, and the importance of giving recognition they deserve for this role. I think it’s also important to highlight the advancements in logistics technology which will play a role in combating COVID-19. Already in the last week we have seen much higher demand for protective clothing for those in hospitals, and Richard Ettl at SkyCell talks more about this.

We are in an unprecedented time. We hope all our readers and clients are safe and healthy. All the things that were taken to be self-evident a couple of weeks ago are no longer so. That is how fast this epidemic is spreading. Investors fear the spread of the coronavirus will destroy economic growth and that government action may not be enough to stop the decline. In response, central banks in many countries, have slashed interest rates. That should, in theory, make borrowing

cheaper and encourage spending to boost the economy. Global markets did also recover some ground after the US Senate passed a $2 trillion (£1.7tn) coronavirus aid bill to help workers and businesses. But some analysts have warned that they could be volatile until the pandemic is contained.

Many lessons will be learned from this crisis, not the least of how companies and government can work together, progress with potential coronavirus vaccines and how we can be better prepared for future health crises. I am sure we will come out of this crisis and build a stronger and healthier economy.

The pharmaceutical industry is working at lightning speed on antibody hopeful. Gilead has an antiviral drug in late-stage development, and Moderna is set to begin testing the first novel coronavirus vaccine. Pfizer is working on potential antiviral therapies, and BioNTech on a potential mRNA coronavirus vaccine.

I really hope that everyone reading this will find some normality in dealing with the daily situation we find ourselves in, but I do know that we are part of an amazing sector, and we drive to make patients better. Lucy Robertshaw Director, Lucy J.Robertshow Consulting

In the meantime, IPI will continue to publish exceptional articles, and remain a major source of communication within the pharmaceutical industry.

Virginia Toteva Editorial Manager – IPI

Editorial Advisory Board Bakhyt Sarymsakova, Head of Department of International Cooperation, National Research, Center of MCH, Astana, Kazakhstan

and Executive Vice President, Vienna School of Clinical Research

Rick Turner, Senior Scientific Director, Quintiles Cardiac Safety Services & Affiliate Clinical Associate Professor, University of Florida College of Pharmacy

Catherine Lund, Vice Chairman, OnQ Consulting

Jagdish Unni, Vice President – Beroe Risk and Industry Delivery Lead – Healthcare, Beroe Inc.

Deborah A. Komlos, Senior Medical & Regulatory Writer, Thomson Reuters

Jeffrey Litwin, M.D., F.A.C.C. Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of ERT

Robert Reekie, Snr. Executive Vice President Operations, Europe, Asia-Pacific at PharmaNet Development Group

Diana L. Anderson, Ph.D president and CEO of D. Anderson & Company

Jeffrey W. Sherman, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President, IDM Pharma

Sanjiv Kanwar, Managing Director, Polaris BioPharma Consulting

Franz Buchholzer, Director Regulatory Operations worldwide, PharmaNet development Group

Jim James DeSantihas, Chief Executive Officer, PharmaVigilant

Stanley Tam, General Manager, Eurofins MEDINET (Singapore, Shanghai)

Francis Crawley. Executive Director of the Good Clinical Practice Alliance – Europe (GCPA) and a World Health Organization (WHO) Expert in ethics