Optimizing patient Engagement in Trials
Before the pandemic hit, the value for all parties in involving patients as key stakeholders in trial recruitment, design and execution was already becoming clear for pharma businesses, leading to more successful trials for them and better outcomes for patients.   Now, this dynamic has been shown to be even more apparent and important, says Madeline Geday, Director, Global Patient Engagement and Innovation at MSD. “Patients, especially with technology today, understand more than they ever have, and we should as an industry try to give our patients more.   Strong relationships with patient and advocacy groups can imp...
Source: EyeForPharma - May 23, 2021 Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Joseph Constance Source Type: news

Fixing the broken patient search experience
Try the following exercise: Google ‘My cancer story rocks’ and read about how dog worming medicine is being enthusiastically discussed on YouTube and Facebook as a cancer cure.   Now imagine what else might be popping up in the billion daily healthcare search engine results, which is the first place most people turn the moment they experience symptoms, long before they contact their doctor. The haphazard nature of many searches may prevent patients seeking the right care, induce them to embrace quackery or reject the very medicines which offer the best treatment. “The results patients are getting are woeful,” s...
Source: EyeForPharma - May 23, 2021 Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Andrew Stone Source Type: news

Including the caregiver in access submissions
While pharma now understands the merit of placing the patient at the centre of all it does, the industry typically gives too little consideration to another important stakeholder - the caregiver. Better products and outcomes are two benefits of doing so. Another is the potential to make a stronger case for a therapy with payers. Because caregivers often prescribe or administer a medicine, they can provide valuable insights to strengthen evidence in access submissions.   “Often, in rare diseases the patient’s abilities are compromised,” says Raquel Cabo, VP of market access and patient services at Ovid Therapeutics...
Source: EyeForPharma - May 23, 2021 Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Katie Osborne Source Type: news

From insight to action in medical affairs
  The context of most human engagement has been limited to the digital space thanks to the current pandemic. Around two thirds of physicians now seek information online, a dramatic increase from the pre-pandemic era.    Clearly on-demand digital consumption of information is fast eclipsing the traditional approach of asking questions of sales reps or MSLs in person, says Kumaran Krishnan, Director of Medical Excellence and Digital Transformation, Teva Pharmaceuticals. “Today, many physicians reach out to digital channels rather than waiting for human interactions to happen.”    And HCPs ’ expectations of the ...
Source: EyeForPharma - May 6, 2021 Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Nicola Davies Source Type: news

Up close and personal: Reacting in a crisis - The Naji Gehchan story
  Naji Gehchan is no stranger to crises. Growing up in Beirut during the Lebanese civil war, conflict and uncertainty were ongoing realities. And in his early career as a volunteer Red Cross first responder, he became an expert at reacting in emergency situations.  In his current role as Senior Director of Sales at Lilly, that experience is proving to be invaluable. As he leads 150 employees through the pandemic, he continues to rely on the lessons he learned as a first responder. “At the beginning of the pandemic, back in March, with all that was going on at work and personally—I have two little kids in school—...
Source: EyeForPharma - March 11, 2021 Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Jill Donahue Source Type: news

Lowering the patient burden in clinical trials
An estimated one in five clinical trials is terminated early, up to 90 per cent fail to hit recruitment targets on time and many investigator sites struggle to enroll enough patients. These are the dispiriting metrics of pharma ’s sub-optimal achievements in trials.  Broadening trial participation and helping ensure participants stick with a trial by lowering the patient burden is one of the keys to moving the dial on the figures above.  The ongoing pandemic is helping here by sharpening pharma ’s focus on having efficient patient recruitment and trial processes in place to make sure they stay the course.  Pharma...
Source: EyeForPharma - March 11, 2021 Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Katie Osborne Source Type: news

Is COVID the gamechanger for decentralized trials?
The shortcomings of the current model for clinical research are well documented. It costs around $26,000 to enroll the average trial participant, of whom one in three typically drops out during the study. This leads to significant delays as only one in seven trials succeeds in enrolling patients in sufficient numbers.    More worryingly, 18% fail to attract a single patient.  The consequences are dire, not just in terms of the $40bn that the pharma industry wastes merely on ‘time costs’ every year. Many patients never learn of clinical research as a viable treatment option, and if they do, their participation remai...
Source: EyeForPharma - March 8, 2021 Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Ulrich Neumann Source Type: news

The value in measuring the patient experience
This study emphases the value of narrative data in understanding patient experiences and what is most bothersome for them.”  Insights included, for example, the fact that pain in the early cohort was a common factor that had often not been discussed. The project also offered insights into some little understood negative aspects of ‘off’ periods (when symptoms return between medication doses), such as movement symptoms but also non-motor symptoms such as anxiety or fogginess.  “Understanding the language patients use can help improve provider communications and improve outcome measures,” says Hastings. Taking...
Source: EyeForPharma - February 22, 2021 Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Andrew Stone Source Type: news

Building capacity in digital
The objective,” says Fors, “is to be with the physician anytime, anywhere and we already have thousands of HCPs accessing it.” Content is king And he adds that the onus now is investing in content that adds clinical value, as opposed to overtly commercial marketing type material. “This is one of the big challenges with virtual interaction. Content is king and if you can manage to put updated, high-quality, neutral content on your platform you are a winner because there is value there for the physician.”  The new content model involves a much more collaborative approach in which its consumers may also play a p...
Source: EyeForPharma - February 22, 2021 Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Katie Osborne Source Type: news

Bringing innovation to rare disease patients in Europe
Why is Biogen focusing on rare diseases?  About 6,000 different rare diseases have been identified to date and these are estimated to affect 30 million people across Europe. It is essential that we collaborate across the medical community, industry, and governments to develop new therapies, explore new technologies and ensure equitable access to treatment. We must innovate across every aspect of treatment to transform the lives of people in these underserved communities.  At Biogen, we have shown that pioneering in neuroscience can change the course of treatment for certain rare diseases. We have transformed the treatmen...
Source: EyeForPharma - February 17, 2021 Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Izzy Gladstone Source Type: news

#Icare4Rare campaign launches to raise awareness ahead of Rare Disease Week 2021
For many of the 30 million people affected by rare disease in the EU, lack of effective treatments and discrepancies in access and diagnosis are still common issues. Strong political will, innovation and further cooperation between countries remain vital to improve outcomes and transform their quality of life.To help raise awareness of rare disease, Reuters Events, Biogen and EU40 have collaborated to launch the #Icare4rare campaign to give prominence to Rare Disease Week 2021.Andrea Corazza, Head of Brussels Liaison Office, Public Policy& Government Affairs, Biogen, says: “With this campaign, we want to help putting...
Source: EyeForPharma - February 11, 2021 Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Izzy Gladstone Source Type: news

Joseph Constance
(Source: EyeForPharma)
Source: EyeForPharma - January 6, 2021 Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Andrew Stone Source Type: news

Joesph Constance
(Source: EyeForPharma)
Source: EyeForPharma - January 6, 2021 Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Andrew Stone Source Type: news

Broadening participation in clinical trials: A win for all
The objective is to engage in rea l-world, evidence-based research and bring trials to the local community, where a significant proportion of cancer care is rendered,” he adds.   To help, Cardinal Health ’s real-world evidence and insights teams analyze the real-world data collected from the sites, which can be compared to results from clinical trials to demonstrate the real-world value of therapies.   By bringing these studies to the community, many of the usual challenges are overcome, adds Gajra. These include trial site location (typically academic institutions) and the distances that must be traveled to reac...
Source: EyeForPharma - January 6, 2021 Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Joseph Constance Source Type: news

Blended and augmented: Reimagining the role of the rep
As pharma tentatively contemplates a post-pandemic future, it is clear that the old sales model has been swept away by this year ’s lockdown and that the field force must adapt.  Industry research from Reuters Events Pharma revealed that 70% of those surveyed expected sales reps ’ face-to-face access to HCPs would not return to thestatus quo ante when pandemic restrictions cease. The research also revealed that the size and disposition of sales teams is under review and smaller field forces look likely.  As the research also made clear, the role of the rep must be rapidly reimagined into more of a digital/face-to-f...
Source: EyeForPharma - December 18, 2020 Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Andrew Stone Source Type: news