Mylan’s Team in Turkey is Helping Women and Children
More than a dozen members of Mylan Turkey recently traveled to Mardin to help open a new toy library at the Cumhuriyet Neighborhood Women-Children Center. Mylan supported the project with the Foundation for the Support of Women’s Work (KEDV) to create a much-needed resource for local children. The center works to help women by promoting literacy, teaching life skills, providing professional development opportunities, and creating a safe, supportive space for them and their children.
2020 HBA Honorees
The Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) announced the 2020 Woman of the Year, Honorable Mentor and STAR honorees, who will be recognized at the HBA’s 31st annual Woman of the Year event on April 29 in New York City.
Sandra Horning, M.D., recently retired chief medical officer and head of global product development, Genentech and Roche, was selected as the 2020 Woman of the Year. Rod MacKenzie, Ph.D., chief development officer and executive VP, Pfizer, is the recipient of the Honorable Mentor award. Susan Torroella, chief operating officer, ArmadaHealth, is recognized with HBA’s Strategic Transformation Achievement Recognition (STAR) volunteer honor.
“Advancing medicine, advancing patient care and advancing equity in both healthcare and our global workforce are the common denominators between this year’s honorees," says Laurie Cooke, president and CEO, HBA. “Each in their own right is a trailblazer and the HBA is proud to recognize these pioneers for their significant contributions to the greater global good."
2019 Drug Approvals
In 2019, FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) approved 48 novel drugs, either as new molecular entities (NMEs) under new drug applications (NDAs), or as new therapeutic biologics under biologics license applications (BLAs).
28 (58%) were designated as priority review.
21 (44%) were approved to treat rare or “orphan" diseases that affect 200,000 or fewer Americans.
20 (42%) were first-in-class, which is one indicator of the drug’s potential for a strong positive impact on the health of the American people.
17 (35%) were designated as fast track.
13 (27%) were designated as breakthrough therapies.
10 new biosimilars were approved in 2019, for a total of 26 biosimilars for nine different reference products since 2015.
Allergan Foundation Giving Reaches $95 Million Since Inception
The Allergan Foundation awarded a total of $10 million in charitable grants in 2019. The grants were donated to more than 400 organizations in 32 states as part of The Allergan Foundation’s commitment to providing a lasting and positive impact in the communities in which the company’s employees live and work. The 2019 grants bring The Allergan Foundation’s total donations in its 21-year history to about $95 million, including $45 million since 2015.
Medical Cost Trend
PwC’s Health Research Institute (HRI), which projects the growth of medical costs in the employer insurance market for the coming calendar year and the leading factors expected to impact the trend, predicts the medical cost trend to be 6%. This is up over a flat increase prediction in 2018 and 2019, with revised estimates coming in at 5.7% for both years.
Prices continue to be the primary driver of healthcare spending, growing at a faster rate than utilization. To drive medical cost trend down, employers are taking a more active role in managing healthcare costs. For example, they’re negotiating contract prices themselves, setting up provider networks and even building a parallel health system to take care of employees at a more manageable cost.
Trends in Cancer Development
Cancer drugs account for 27% of all new drug approvals in the United States since 2010, a dramatic increase from the 4% share during the 1980s, according to recent analysis from the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development.
Other trends:
Clinical development time for cancer drug approvals during 1999 to 2018 was 9% longer compared with noncancer drugs.
Regulatory approval phase time for cancer approvals during 1999 to 2018 was 48% shorter on average vs. noncancer approvals.
Total clinical development and approval phase times during 1999 to 2018 was 17% longer on average for hematologic drugs (8.8 years) compared with drugs for solid tumors (7.5 years).
Substantially higher percentages of new cancer drug approvals received priority ratings from the FDA and had orphan drug status during the 1999 to 2018 timeframe, compared with new noncancer drug approvals.
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Awards…
AstraZeneca’s R&D Chief Mene Pangalos Has Been Knighted
Mene Pangalos, executive VP of biopharmaceuticals research and development at AstraZeneca, has been awarded a knighthood by Her Majesty The Queen on the New Year 2020 Honors List in recognition of his services to U.K. science. Since joining the company in 2010, he has pioneered programs to promote novel open innovation partnerships with nongovernmental and peer organizations and more than 200 academic institutions.
Daiichi Sankyo Listed on Dow Jones Sustainability Indices
Daiichi Sankyo has been listed on the 2019 DJSI World for the third consecutive year and DJSI Asia Pacific for the 10th consecutive year. The company was recognized for its strong performance in the areas of marketing practice, corporate citizenship and philanthropy, health outcome contribution, and strategy to improve access to drugs.
ICON awarded Innovations in Drug Development
ICON, a global provider of drug and medical device development and commercialization services, has won Best Contract Research Organization — Full-Service Providers at the 2019 Scrip Awards. The Scrip Awards honor the industry’s highest-achieving individuals and organizations.
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Astellas and MBC BioLabs Announce Golden Ticket Winners
Astellas Venture Management, a wholly owned VC subsidiary of Astellas Pharma and Mission Bay Capital BioLabs, a life-science incubator, announced AmbAgon Therapeutics and Gordian Biotechnology as the winners of the Astellas-sponsored Golden Ticket Competition. The award supports advancing early-stage companies’ preclinical scientific discoveries, reflecting Astellas’ ongoing commitment to discovering and advancing innovative science for the potential future benefit of patients worldwide.
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PharmaVOICE 100 News
Jay Carter Named Chair of the Coalition for Healthcare Communication
Jay Carter, executive VP of AbelsonTaylor, has been elected chair of the executive committee of the Coalition for Healthcare Communication for 2020-2021. He has been a member of the executive committee since 2015. He succeeds Karsten Risch, M.D., Ph.D., who served in 2018-2019.
“We are in an election year where our industry will be continuously scrutinized and criticized," Mr. Carter says. “I’m grateful that the CHC is successful at its mission of representing our industry well, and it’s my intent to ensure that it continues to benefit our membership. I also hope to increase our numbers, as coalitions only work when they have a broad and active base."
Mr. Carter is PharmaVOICE 100 — 2005 and 2006.
Wendy White Launches RareiTi
Wendy White, along with partner Natalie Douglas, has launched RareiTi, a new system of care for people and communities across the globe with unmet needs in the rare disease space. The company’s managed access and medicines management programs offer support beyond therapy, combining care solutions that are specifically developed, carefully measured, and designed to improve outcomes. According to Ms. White, RareiTi has a patient-first philosophy and perspective and the company’s team members have the combined expertise, global network, and a level of experience to bring a new standard of care to a mature marketplace.
Ms. White is an innovative leader who has worked for more than 20 years in rare disease at the intersection of advocacy, technology, and business. She founded, grew and transitioned Siren Interactive Corp. to Dohmen Life Science Services (now Eversana) as part of a long-term vision to integrate patient level insights into the drug delivery continuum. She is currently chair of Global Genes.
Ms. Douglas’ healthcare career includes tenure at Janssen and then as CEO of IDIS, where she built the company into a global market leader in delivering international managed access programs for physicians and the biopharmaceutical industry. In 2014 she joined Healthcare at Home as CEO executing an operational turnaround and developing the future growth strategy. She is vice chair of Global Genes.
Ms. White is a PharmaVOICE 100 — 2012 and 2015, and a Red Jacket — 2017.
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PharmaVOICE @Industry Events
Eyeforpharma Recognizes and Celebrates Innovation
The eyeforpharma Awards 2019, held in December in Philadelphia, celebrated 16 winners who are making genuine innovation visible, setting the bar higher, and broadening the possibilities for pharma by showing what can be achieved.
The eyeforpharma awards recognized individuals who have made a significant difference when it comes to the value pharma offers to patients and customers.
The winners are:
Most Valuable Healthcare/HCP Initiative: BioMarin, A Global Rare Disease Education Campaign
Most Valuable Collaboration: Teva + Direct Relief Collaboration
Most Valuable Breakthrough/Discovery: nQ Medical – neuroQWERTY
Most Promising MVP/Pilot: Ascensia
Most Promising Agile Transformation: UCB – PVU Internal Engine
Most Valuable Clinical/Access Initiative: Sanofi – Patient Informed Research & Development
Most Valuable Awareness Initiative: Merck – A Touch of Sugar
Most Valuable Education Initiative: Janssen – Journey to Better Health
Most Valuable Data & Insights Initiative: LEO Innovation Lab – Imagine
Most Valuable Service or Digital Therapy: Annexus – Annexus Health
Global Health Pioneer: Teva and Multiple Chronic Conditions (MCCs)
Entrepreneur Award Health Solution: PARx Solutions
Entrepreneur Award: Patient Solution: Ranjeeta Vinil, Saarathi Healthcare
Patient Champion Award Patient Advocate: Alicia Staley, Senior Director, Patient Engagement, Medidata
Patient Champion Award Pharma: Novartis, Doing Everything Differently to Make a Difference
Lifetime Achievement: Kenneth A. Getz, Chairman, CISCRP
LSX CEO Forum
The 2nd annual LSX World Congress USA, held last October in Boston, brought together a high-caliber, senior executive, audience for the two-day conference and partnering event. Sessions provided information around education, strategies, solutions, and contacts that life-science companies need to enable more effective investment, planning, and strategic growth within their businesses.
It is one of the leading events for attracting the C-suite of the global life-sciences industry.
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Infographic:
2019 U.S. Influenza Statistics
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The Age of Gene Therapy
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