Bayer and the White Ribbon Alliance
The partnership of Bayer and the White Ribbon Alliance (WRA), Every Woman Every Child, has reached 1,200 women in 91 communities across four developing countries. The partnership’s goal has been to launch local community programs to support the reduction and prevention of maternal, newborn, and child mortality in developing countries including Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Indonesia, and Bolivia.
Established through a three-year, $1.3 million commitment from Bayer in 2015, the self-care programs complement work that is under way by WRA and expands their work to Bolivia.
Trends in Pharmacy Costs
Vizient estimates that for pharmaceutical purchases made from Jan. 1, 2018 to Dec. 31, 2018, health systems can expect a 7.61% increase in price.
Other trends:
Biosimilars on the tipping point: In the seven years since the FDA gained the authority to approve biosimilars, only two have reached the market. That could all change, with potentially 10 gaining approval by the end of the year.
Orphan drugs — balancing patient benefits with extraordinary prices: The world’s 10 most expensive drugs are all orphan drugs. Therapies for extremely limited populations are continuing to be introduced at ever higher prices.
Drug shortages are still here: While drug shortages have been on the decline over the last few years, the market could see a reversal of that trend.
Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly Support Awareness on Heart Disease and Diabetes Link
Award-winning actress Angela Bassett, along with 11 leading patient and professional organizations, is joining For Your SweetHeart: Where diabetes and heart disease meet, a nationwide movement to raise awareness of the critical link between type 2 diabetes and heart disease, the No. 1 killer of people with type 2 diabetes.
Along with For Your SweetHeart sponsors Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly, Ms. Bassett is urging those with type 2 diabetes to know their risk of heart disease, for the sake of their health and the people they cherish the most.
A Snapshot of the Costliest Drugs
The first targeted therapy for a disease is very likely to be able to command top dollar. Nine out of 10 of the costliest drugs (at or >$200K per patient per year) approved by the FDA from 2014-2016 have first targeted therapy status.
The top-tier list is dominated by drugs for pediatrics. Eight out of the 10 costliest drugs (at or >$200K per patient per year) — Exondys 51, Spinraza, Cholbam, Kanuma, Orkambi, Strensiq, Myalept, and Vimizim — are indicated for pediatrics. Only Cerdelga and Cyramza, the first targeted therapy for advanced gastric cancer, lack a pediatric indication.
Drugs requiring long-term dosing make up a disproportionate share of the list. Nine of the 10 costliest drugs approved by the FDA from 2014-2016 — Exondys 51, Spinraza, Cholbam, Kanuma, Orkambi, Strensiq, Myalept, Cerdelga and Vimizim — require long-term dosing; only Cyramza requires intermediate dosing.(PV)
Source: Trinity Partners
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ghg Group CEO Departs
After more than 20 years with greyhealth group (ghg), Lynn O’Connor Vos plans to leave the agency in September.
Ms. O’Connor Vos says the time is ripe for her to explore the world of health in new and different ways.
“Dramatic technological innovation, the proliferation of big data, new generations of healthcare consumers, and opportunities to enhance the effectiveness of health communication has opened new doors for driving change in the healthcare industry," she says.
Erin Byrne, ghg’s executive VP and chief client officer, has been named CEO of ghg in the Americas.
Ms. Byrne will report to Mike Hudnall, CEO of WPP Health & Wellness, when she takes over the role in September.
The WPP Group restructured its healthcare agencies, organizing Ogilvy CommonHealth Worldwide, ghg, and Sudler & Hennessey as well as CMI under a single brand — WPP Health & Wellness — and with a single CEO in Mr. Hudnall.
Ms. O’Connor Vos, a two-time PharmaVOICE 100 honoree, has been a pioneer for the power of digital to address changing healthcare dynamics.
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Awards…
Astellas among Best Workplaces in Chicago
Great Place to Work and Fortune magazine announced their inaugural 50 Best Workplaces in Chicago list. Astellas ranked among the Top 20 best workplaces across all industries based on surveys from more than 81,000 employees at Great Place to Work Certified organizations in the Chicago area.
Baxter Named One of America’s Best Employers
Baxter International has been named by Forbes magazine as one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2017. This marks the third consecutive year that Baxter has been named to the prestigious list.
ICON Named by Forbes as One of the Best Employers
ICON, a global provider of drug development solutions and services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries, has been included in Forbes magazine’s America’s Best Employers list for 2017. ICON was the highest ranked CRO in the best midsize employers listing.
Klick Wins Employee Workplace Award
Klick is being lauded for having one of the most healthy, engaged, and productive workforces in Canada. It recently won the Employee Recommended Workplace Award in the Large Employer — Private Company category.
“We recognize the importance of fostering a positive and healthy work environment and are always looking for new ways to help minimize stress and maximize healthy living through fitness, fun, and an empathetic, close-knit culture," says Klick Co-Founder and CEO Leerom Segal, a PharmaVOICE 100 Red Jacket honoree.
Lysogen CEO Wins Award
Lysogene, a biopharma company specializing in gene therapy technology, has announced Karen Aiach, CEO and founder, has won the Women’s Entrepreneurship’s Innovation & New Technologies Trophy — co-organized by the Women’s Entrepreneurship Association and the CPME — rewarding her “spectacular breakthrough in the exclusive arena of rare diseases."
Omnicom Health Group’s Edward Frankel Awarded Pantheon Award
Edward Frankel, senior VP, director of talent acquisition for Omnicom Health Group, was awarded the Pantheon award by the 4A’s Multicultural Advertising Internship Program (MAIP).
The Pantheon Award is given to a transformational leader who is highly regarded as a cultivator, supporter, and champion of multicultural talent in the advertising and media industry. Mr. Frankel is the first and only healthcare-dedicated agency leader to be recognized with the award.
Parexel Receives CEO Cancer Gold Standard Recognition
Parexel has announced that the CEO Roundtable on Cancer has again named the company a CEO Cancer Gold Standard employer. The biennial U.S.-based accreditation, which Parexel previously received in 2015, recognizes the company’s strong commitment to the health of its employees and their families.
“Our employees are the key to our success as we help our clients bring life-saving treatments to patients around the globe," says Josef von Rickenbach, chairman and CEO.
SCORR Marketing Exec Named AMA Marketer of the Year
SCORR Marketing, a global health science marketing and communications firm, has announced that Krystle Buntemeyer, senior VP and chief marketing officer, was named the 2017 Marketer of the Year by the American Marketing Association – Omaha at the Pinnacle Awards Show.
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Innovation Corner
Astellas Oncology C3 Launches Prize Competition
The second year of the Astellas C3 Prize has launched. This global challenge is designed to change cancer care by inspiring non-medicine innovations that may improve the lives of patients with cancer, their caregivers, and their loved ones. Five finalists will be selected to pitch their ideas live at the Union for International Cancer Control World Cancer Leaders’ Summit on November 13 in Mexico City.
One grand prize winner will be awarded $50,000 and a personal business consultation with Robert Herjavec, technology entrepreneur, star of ABC’s hit television show Shark Tank and former cancer caregiver. The four runners-up will receive $12,500.
BioMed X and Merck Launch Two Crowdsourcing Projects
BioMed X and Merck KGaA have launched two new global calls for applications in the fields of RNA splicing in cancer and engineering of high-performance production cell lines. Young scientists from the world’s top universities and research institutions have been invited to submit innovative project proposals and apply for a research fellowship at the BioMed X Innovation Center.
The 15 best proposals are chosen, and the company invites the corresponding scientists to a five-day boot camp in Heidelberg, Germany. The winner of the boot camp receives a fellowship at BioMed X and the opportunity to execute the research project during a two-to-four year term under guidance of industry and academic mentors.
Elsevier Launches The Hive to Showcase Startup Innovation
Elsevier, the information analytics company specializing in science and health, has launched The Hive, its innovation hub for biotech and pharmaceutical startups. This year, at least eight leading-edge startups working on innovative goals will be chosen to become part of The Hive.
The Hive’s startups will receive access to Elsevier’s suite of digital solutions for 18 months, helping them rapidly advance their critical research, and improve productivity. The Hive, first launched in 2016, highlights the superior levels of innovation in the startup biotech and pharma sector, as well as demonstrating to larger companies.
“We created The Hive to highlight the trend in the industry that has seen biotech and pharma startups become centers of cutting-edge science," says Tamas Szarvas, CMO, corporate R&D, Elsevier’s R&D Solutions.
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Contributed Articles
Myopic Focus on Dashboards May Blur Insights
Provided by: goBalto
Preparing for the Next Big Transformation
Provided by: TayganPoint Consulting Group
eBooks
Evidence Wisely: Advanced Learnings from the Field
Provided by: PAREXEL
Podcasts
The Real Value of Real World Data
Thought Leader: Michelle Hoiseth, PAREXEL Access
White Papers
The Future of RWE Technology – Moving Beyond Rapid Cycle Analytics
Provided by: Evidera
Beyond Compliance: Regulated Content Management and the Digital Revolution
Provided by: Medidata Solutions
Keeping Up with Innovation: Institutional Review Boards and Therapeutic Specialization
Provided by: Schulman IRB
