AstraZeneca has appointed BioCity Nottingham to establish a new bioscience hub at its Alderley Park R&D site in Cheshire.

The BioHub will provide high-quality laboratory and office facilities for small pharma and biotech firms involved in drug discovery and development.

The ‘hub’ model of bioscience R&D has already achieved great success in Nottingham, Cambridge, Abingdon and Glasgow, providing benefits to tenant companies, investors and the regional economy.

The first three client companies – Blueberry Therapeutics Ltd, Imagen Biotech Ltd and Redx Anti-Infectives Ltd (a subsidiary of Redx Pharma) have already moved onto the site.

A total of 36,000 square feet of innovation space is available at the BioHub, and tenant companies expect to achieve rapid growth.

The BioCity management team has established hubs in Nottingham and Newhouse, just outside Glasgow.

AstraZeneca is providing the BioHub laboratories and offices, as well as access to restaurants, meeting rooms and conference facilities and to technical equipment.

Dr Glenn Crocker (pictured), CEO of BioCity Nottingham, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen to advise and help establish the BioHub at Alderley Park. We bring many years of experience in developing thriving communities of successful life science companies, and look forward to working closely with the AstraZeneca management team.

“We now have a unique opportunity to build connections between tenant companies based at Alderley Park, Nottingham and Scotland, which could ultimately transform the way life science innovation is achieved.”

While the closure of AstraZeneca’s R&D facility at the Alderley Park site (formerly owned by ICI) caused much concern within the industry, the BioHub plan ensures that the classic site will continue to host pharmaceutical innovation.

A new quadrivalent (four-strain) vaccine for seasonal influenza has been approved by the MHRA for use in the UK.

Fluarix Tetra from GSK, which has also been approved for use in Germany, is the first vaccine of this type to gain regulatory approval in Europe.

The vaccine is approved by the MHRA for the immunisation of adults and children aged over three years, and was approved in the US in December 2012.

It offers protection against two subtypes of the influenza A virus and two of the B virus, widening the scope of the trivalent flu viruses currently in use.

GSK commented: “As only one influenza B strain is selected for inclusion in trivalent vaccines, there have been seasons when the predominant circulating influenza B strain was different from that chosen for the vaccine.”

The new vaccine is expected to be available to the NHS by autumn 2013, the start of the flu vaccination season.

Sanofi Pasteur and Novartis are both working on quadrivalent flu vaccines, while AstraZeneca has one on the market in the US.

AstraZencca (AZ) is to cut 1,600 jobs in a global restructuring of its R&D operation, including 700 UK jobs and 650 in the US.

In the UK, AZ will shut down its R&D operations at Alderley Edge and relocate over 1,000 jobs to a new global HQ in Cambridge.

In the US, it will shift its Global Medicines Development Group from Delaware to Maryland.

The restructuring, which will take three years to complete, will concentrate the company’s R&D operations in three key global centres.

It follows a quarter in which global sales fell by 16% due to patent expiry – and while AZ continues to see R&D as a vital function it is keen to reduce costs.

AZ’s long-term growth has resulted in a structure that Mene Pangalos, Executive VP for Innovative Medicines, described as “too spread out and too diffuse”.

Research work at the Alderley Park site, which Zeneca took over in 1993 as a divestment from ICI, will cease. Some 700 non-R&D roles will remain at the site, while 1,600 R&D roles will be relocated and 550 will be cut.

This decision contrasts with the prospect in October 2012, when AZ secured a £5m grant from the Regional Growth Fund to develop a bioscience park at Alderley Park and Martin Mackay, AZ’s President of R&D, claimed: “Alderley Park is a site of critical importance to our global R&D organisation.”

The current decision to focus R&D in Cambridge reflects the growing importance of biotech clusters for global pharma.

Pascal Soriot (pictured), CEO of AZ, commented: “Cambridge, which boasts strong links with London-based research institutions, is a world-renowned bioscience hotspot that rivals the likes of San Francisco and Boston.

“I believe the investment greatly increases the chances that the next generation of innovative medicines will be invented and manufactured in Britain.”

When I arrive at our agreed location (14 minutes early), I notice that the PM Society’s Anneliese Cameron (General Manager) and Carys Thomas Ampofo (Communications) have already had a coffee and been perusing the last two editions of the rebooted Pf mag. It’s a relief to know these ladies are alert and of uncommonly good taste. As I undrape my burgundy scarf, I realise that I am on the threshold of something rather wonderful. I order more coffee (the card machine is broken and the till guy is unapologetic – I rise above it) and begin the interrogation.

What do you think of the relaunched Pf ?
Carys: How much are you paying us?
As much as it takes.
Anneliese: I think it’s really refreshing to see a pharma mag with a consumer feel to it, and it’s lovely to focus on individuals. It’s got a real community feel.

Enough about me. What role will pharma play, as reform starts to unfold?
Carys: There are opportunities for all the healthcare industries to really help the reform process by not just providing and supporting treatments, but bringing experience from the private sector in order to understand processes, especially at a local level and with joint working.
Anneliese: It’s all about perception and, ultimately, we’re all patients. In the mainstream press there is a lot of negativity but, actually, pharma does a hell of a lot of good and that will continue to emerge in the next few years.

What does pharma need to do, in order to start hanging out with the NHS on equal terms?
Carys: Pharma needs to get smarter. Pharma personnel have to establish the same level of knowledge as the people they are talking to within the NHS. They must understand local needs, the role they can play in improving patient outcomes and how their product might fit into the bigger picture. One of the biggest challenges in the UK is where companies are expected to deliver campaigns that have been developed at a global level. There is no such thing as one size fits all now.

What is the PM Society doing to help people improve their performance?
Anneliese: The PM Society has undergone a period of modernisation in the last 12 months. It has identified some key areas of healthcare marketing that are hot topics at the moment, including market access, NHS partnerships, personal career development, digital platforms and patient engagement. With an interest group in each of these areas, led by an expert in the field, we are looking at providing the information, content and education which tackles those challenges. The role of today’s marketer has changed; there needs to be a much more fundamental understanding of all aspects of the industry, whatever role you work in.
Carys: It’s really important to get everyone that is involved in the drug development process switched on to health technology and marketing needs early on in the trial stages. You will then get the information that is appropriate to support the product, when you actually bring it to market. When the marketers at a national or global level release promotional material they also need to appreciate that the sales rep needs flexibility in how they canvas the information. This requires a significant cultural change.

Can changing a company’s ethos get results?
Carys: The most forward-thinking companies I have worked with in healthcare communications are those that bring everyone around the table, as part of a brand planning team, allowing contributions from all areas of the business and developing a strategy that suits everyone. I worked on one project with Daiichi Sankyo where this approach was put into practice brilliantly.
Anneliese: Yes, they’ve also really embraced info-sharing technology and all its sales staff have an iPad. It’s about presentation; doctors like to see how medication actually works, and what the benefits are for their practice and patients. This is much more exciting if it comes from an iPad rather than a flip chart. These days marketers need to be digital pioneers.

What have been the notable landmarks for the PM Society in the last year?
Anneliese: Personally speaking it would be taking the role of General Manager; a position that the PM Society has never had before. The organisation has been around for 30 years, but it needed to change from primarily a social entity into a forwardthinking, innovative organisation with a solid grounding in business.
Carys: It was a question of drawing a line in the sand, saying, ‘how can we meet our members’ needs in 2013, not 1983’, and preparing the Society for the next 30 years. We now offer greater flexibility, more visibility and, since 2005, marketing-specific modern training programmes, which really make a difference.
Anneliese: In the past we were perceived as bit of a club. But now we are a valued, completely independent organisation run by a voluntary executive committee and dynamic office team.

Do pharma employees regard the PM Society as a support system for their development?
Anneliese: Very much so. We are a none profit organisation, so they don’t feel like there is any pressure from a corporation. We provide impartial advice without charging a fortune for events and content. For me, it’s about making a positive difference during this exciting new phase. Members will also benefit from a partnership agreement we have just signed with the ABPI, which recognises the opportunities to communicate with pharma professionals at all levels.

Your recent market access gig, which I attended, was refreshingly enthusiastic about the possibilities of joint working and breaking down boundaries.
Carys: The meeting was a great example of how the PM Society can help pharma companies develop their skills to meet the changing market. The key experts and experienced speakers from the NHS made pharma employees start thinking about the possibilities of working with public sector colleagues. People attending definitely demonstrated a desire to form positive partnerships; they want to make things happen. It’s also about spreading the word, because inspirational partnerships between the NHS and pharma companies are already happening.

Your awards tend to recognise companies that have demonstrated positivity and teamwork.
Anneliese: The Advertising Awards are about creativity, but it’s also deeper. We examine the campaigns and look at what the outcomes were for both the companies and patients, and how effective those campaigns were in capturing public imagination and making a difference. We also have the only healthcare-specific Digital Media Awards, which last year saw a 30 per-cent increase in entries.

What nuts are you looking forward to cracking in the next 12 months?
Anneliese: I want us to dig deeper into pharma and raise awareness, not to a few individuals in a company, but the entire workforce. We’re very ambitious about creating a real community, which embraces all areas of healthcare. We’re also really keen to introduce ABPI members to our services.

Right ladies, I’m bringing the tone down. You both have high-pressured jobs, what do you do to relax?
Carys: I don’t really have much time to relax! I have three daughters, of six years and under, and have also found myself Chair of the Parent Staff Association (PSA) at their school.

Is that much different to the the PM Society?
Carys: Yes, but the politics are 100 times worse! Being a mother is very much part of who I am; it’s a really difficult balance, as a working woman; giving quality time to your family and also working productively. Intellectual stimulation is really important; I think I’d go mad if I had to spend every day with my children! In the future it would be great to see more professional flexibility for women.

How do you chillax, Anneliese?
Anneliese: I love rugby. I’m a big supporter of Dorking Rugby Club, who my son plays for. My partner is Welsh, so my allegiances have switched a bit, and last year I went to the Millenium Stadium for the first time, to watch Wales vs Italy [John’s internal voice – ‘Traitor!’] I’ve got two dogs and I love walking in the Surrey Hills. My partner recently launched Tillingbourne Brewery, so I help to promote cask ale in my spare time.

Will you be drinking the profits?
Anneliese: There’ll be plenty of market research!

On that note, do you think it’s important that pharma recruits more people from the ‘outside’?
Anneliese: I spent 15 years in the music business. I worked for Polygram [now Universal], on the classical side, during the ‘Three Tenors’ period. Although I didn’t know much about pharma and healthcare when I started, I knew a lot about marketing. I remember in my first year of running the PMEA, at a reception with Rob Wood (then a director at AstraZeneca). He asked me where I came from and, when I told him, he said, ‘that’s fantastic, we need more people from different industries’. Nowadays pharma is bringing talent from other sectors, and that’s really important, because they provide such a range of different attributes. Marketing, advertising and PR skills can always be adapted to a new environment.

You don’t necessarily need to know the secret ‘pharma’ handshake anymore.
Carys: I think it’s changed for the better, and it’s brought fresh thinking. If you only have people from a regulated system it can hinder creativity. Some of the best people I’ve worked with, in pharma, have come from outside, with fresh, exciting perspectives.

To get involved with the PM Society go to www.pmsociety.org.uk.

Greek hospitals and pharmacies are running short of around 300 medicines because drug companies are refusing to supply them.

Hospitals failing to pay drug bills and parallel trading by wholesalers and pharmacists are the main reasons for supplies being withheld.

Major pharmaceutical companies that have admitted halting shipments of some products include Pfizer, Roche and Sanofi.

Medicines for arthritis, hepatitis C and hypertension, statins, antibiotics, anaesthetics, antipsychotics and antidepressants are all affected.

Dimitris Karageorgiou, Secretary General of the Panhellenic Pharmaceutical Association, said: “I would say supplies are down by 90%. The companies are ensuring that they come in dribs and drabs to avoid prosecution. Everyone is really frightened.

“The government is panic-stricken and the multinationals only think about themselves and the issue of parallel trade because wholesalers can legally sell them to other European nations at a higher price.”

According to the Greek government, more than 50 companies are holding back products or planning to do so. The Ministry of Health is intending to fine eight major drug companies, which have not been named.

There are reports of widespread panic and anger among patients who are going from one pharmacy to another with prescriptions. “We have reached a tragic point,” commented Karageorgiou.

With austerity tightening in Greece, the debts owed to pharma companies by hospitals and social insurance funds has reached €1.9bn (£1.6bn).

Pfizer has admitted withdrawing four medicines “because alternatives were available and because of the parallel trade situation”: leukaemia drugs Zavedos and Aracytin, the analgesic Neurontin and the epilepsy treatment Epanutin.

Roche said it was withholding supplies to Greek public hospitals, apart from “critical medicines” such as HIV drugs, but was still supplying pharmacies.

Sanofi claimed it was still supplying public hospitals with life-saving and unique products (for which no generic version or recommended alternative exists).

GSK, AstraZeneca, Novartis and Boehringer Ingelheim denied they had stopped supply of any products to Greece.

The pharmaceutical industry has urged the Greek government to set its drug prices in accordance with a eurozone standard. Greek drug prices are 20% lower than the next lowest in the EU, giving rise to widespread parallel trading.

Greek regulator the National Organisation for Medicines has banned the export of 60 medicines and is considering another 300. It will fine wholesalers and pharmacists who have broken the export ban.

Patent and trademark firm Harrison Goddard Foote (HGF) has recruited AstraZeneca’s Principal Patent Attorney as its new Patent Director.

Mike Nelson has joined HGF’s pharmaceutical team, based in its Leeds office, where his industry experience will assist clients in building a commercial development strategy around their patents and brands.

HGF covers intellectual property (IP) protection for new drug molecules, formulations, drug delivery technologies and life cycle management.

Jonathan Couchman, a partner at HGF, commented: “In pharmaceuticals, we are one of a few European IP firms able to provide high level commercial and technical excellence to the industry, and with Mike Nelson we can build further on this existing platform, especially in commercial strategy.”

“HGF is currently one of the fastest growing intellectual property specialists in the UK,” said Mike Nelson. “This growth stems from its proactive approach and understanding of its client’s business needs. Together with the considerable technical expertise and industrial experience of its attorneys, HGF provides clients with an unrivalled intellectual property service.”

HGF advises on all aspects of IP from its offices in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds, London, Birmingham, Oxford, Manchester, Sheffield and York. It has six specialist business groups including pharmaceuticals.

The pharmaceutical industry’s reputation in the last twelve months has declined worldwide, a new survey has found.

Only a third of patient groups now believe that pharma has an ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ reputation, figures from PatientView’s independent 2012 annual review show. In 2011, 42% of respondents had the same opinion.

A global survey of some 600 international, national and regional patient groups showed that 66% of respondents felt the industry needed to do more to improve its corporate image and its relationship with patients.

Respondents were quizzed on their impression of 29 of the largest global pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim and Roche.

Up to half of responses claimed that pharma had a ‘poor’ record in 2012 for its pricing policies. Nearly the same amount (48%) also claimed that the industry had a ‘poor’ record for being transparent over the last twelve months.

There was also a marked change in opinions of the way pharma manages adverse news about its products – down 29% compared to the 2011 results; of whether it has ethical marketing practices – a fall of 23% on the 2011 data; and of its relationship with the media – down 19% on last year’s results.

But the survey was not all bad news for pharma. As part of the study, respondents were asked to provide feedback on six key indicators that influence corporate reputation: patient-centeredness; patient information; patient safety; useful products; transparency; and integrity. Lundbeck topped the charts after it received the highest ranking overall and moved up three places on 2011’s chart – see below.

Gilead Sciences, which jumped from 10^th in 2011 to 2^nd last year, and Eli Lilly, which improved from 18^th to 9^th place, also had reason to celebrate.

NICE has requested further information on Forxiga (dapagliflozin) as a combination therapy option to treat type 2 diabetes after failing to recommend the product in draft guidance.

Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca have been asked for further clarification and information after concerns were raised about trial data and the cost modelling of the drug.

Forxiga has a UK marketing authorisation in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. It’s used as monotherapy when diet and exercise alone do not provide adequate control and as an add-on combination therapy with other treatments, such as insulin and metformin.

During the appraisal, NICE’s independent Appraisal Committee questioned the evidence on the clinical effectiveness of Forxiga as an add-on to insulin and metformin.

The Committee noted that the trial data for the drug as an add-on therapy to insulin came from two placebo-controlled trials – one of which was only 12 weeks in duration. The evidence supplied for Forxiga as an add-on to metformin came from three clinical trials and a network meta-analysis.

Concerns were also raised by the Committee surrounding the comparisons made by BMS and AZ of the cost of Forxiga and with that of other anti-diabetic drug therapies and how these were initially made.

“Type 2 diabetes is a serious problem in the UK and it is important that there is a range of different treatment options available,” said Professor Carole Longson, Health Technology Evaluation Centre Director at NICE. “Unfortunately the Appraisal Committee is currently unable to recommend dapagliflozin, one of the options, for the treatment of this condition. They have requested further information from the manufacturer, which will be considered at the next Appraisal Committee meeting in April.”

Final guidance is expected in June 2013.

Biotechnology giant MedImmune has appointed Bahija Jallal, its current Executive Vice President for R&D, as its new President.

The former President of the Maryland-based company, Peter Greenleaf, will take over leadership of parent company AstraZeneca’s (AZ) Latin American business.

The transition accompanies the formal designation of MedImmune as the global biologics division of AZ, which acquired it for $15.6bn in 2007.

Bahija Jallal is a former researcher at the Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Germany. While VP of Drug Assessment and Development at Chiron, she was headhunted by MedImmune in 2006, becoming its Head of Translational Science.

Commenting on that appointment, Jallal said: “I was struck by MedImmune’s history of innovation. And I looked at who they had on their board of directors and their executives. There were more women than you would see at other companies.”

The fortune paid by AZ to acquire MedImmune surprised many in the industry. The acquisition was followed by investment in its R&D capability, including the development of a new site in Cambridge, England, and the merger of the UK group with Cambridge Antibody Technology.

According to MedImmune spokesman Mike O’Brien, the biotech company’s commercial operation now formally belongs to AZ’s North American business, while its manufacturing operation is part of AZ’s global operations.

“The driver for these changes is not cost but even faster decision-making in key areas of the business and a need to reduce complexity,” he said.

Through MedImmune, AZ plans to deliver an average of one new biologic drug per year from 2013.

MedImmune’s past successes include two innovative vaccines: the first monoclonal antibody approved by the FDA for use against an infectious disease (Synagis, used to prevent the childhood lung disease RSV); and the first intranasal vaccine against influenza (FluMist).

The ABPI sets out to deliver tailored support and advice to healthcare providers on the medicines its member companies produce. Kevin Blakemore, NHS Partnerships Manager at the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, discusses the advantage of partnerships in healthcare.

The pharmaceutical industry has experienced tremendous change and, as part of that evolution, forming successful partnerships in healthcare has become integral to our way of working. The NHS delivers outstanding care to patients – utilising the innovative medicines the pharmaceutical industry produces – so it makes perfect sense for us to work together, ensuring the best possible outcomes for patients. There are some points, however, to consider when embarking on ‘joint working’ ventures – these partnerships must be managed and guided to ensure that the process is efficient, seamless and offers patients maximum benefit.

Often these partnerships can result in patients spending less time in secondary care settings, and can deliver significant savings. Patients benefit most when those with a stake in their care work effectively, enthusiastically and efficiently together.

Joint working describes situations where, for the benefit of patients, NHS and industry, organisations pool skills, experiences and resources for the joint development and implementation of patient centred projects and a shared commitment to creating a streamlined, joined-up care pathway, where patients are kept at the heart.

Flexible joints
Joint working has already benefited thousands of patients across the UK and to help achieve greater outcomes, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has developed the ‘NHS Partnerships Team’. My dedicated team work with healthcare providers up and down the country, providing specialist advice and support, while facilitating successful working relationships.

The NHS Partnerships team is made up of eight individuals, each responsible for a different area of England. Their knowledge and expertise includes experience of working within the pharmaceutical industry and the NHS. They also bring their knowledge of innovative and effective medicines created by the industry, and this can be utilised for the benefit of patients. The central focus of the team is improving the healthcare environment in order to increase access to and uptake of innovative products. The team consists of Diana Vegh, Karen Thomas, Carol Blount, Harriet Lewis, Andy Riley, Mike Ringe, Angela Logun and myself.

Diana Vegh started her career in the pharmaceutical industry within regulatory affairs in AstraZeneca, working in scientific roles of increasing seniority. She then moved to the NHS where she held senior positions in the Strategic Health Authority, two PCTs and a Foundation Trust in the South West.
Diana returned to industry in a commercial capacity at UCB Pharma, working in market access for products. She has extensive networks across the industry and the NHS, and a wealth of practical, positive experience.

Veteran’s parade
Karen Thomas – a recent addition to the NHS Partnerships Team – has extensive experience of working in the pharmaceutical industry, and for the past 12 years Karen has worked for Bristol Myers Squibb, where her roles spanned finances, sales, commercial and market access, covering several therapeutic disease areas. Karen joined the ABPI in November 2012 as the Regional Partnership Manager for London.

Harriet Lewis has been a pharmacist for over 20 years. She has worked in a wide range of healthcare sectors including industry, community, hospital and primary care. Before joining the ABPI, Harriet’s most recent role was Associate Director for Medicines Advice with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). Harriet has led on a number of NHS support programmes, including local formularies, local decision making, controlled drugs, accountable officers and ‘specials’. She has authored several key documents for NPC and NICE. Harriet is the Regional Partnership Manager for the North.

Most recent additions to the team are Andy Riley and Mike Ringe. Andy joins us as the ABPI Regional NHS Partnership Manager for Midlands and East. He qualified as a pharmacist in 1987 and has held posts in hospitals, community pharmacies and health authorities in London, the North West and the West Midlands. Mike joins us as the ABPI Group Therapy Manager directly from the NHS, and previously held the position of Chief Operating Officer at Luton Clinical Commissioning Group.

My role is the NHS Partnerships Manager and I manage the team. Previously, I have worked in the pharmaceutical industry for over 25 years – at UCB and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) – and I have been responsible for developing national level methodologies and frameworks to support patient and market access programmes.

Bonded by blood
The ABPI recently undertook a joint working project at a hospital trust in the North of England looking at epistaxis – one of the most common ENT emergencies in England, with over 27,000 patients presented to secondary care between 2008 and 2011. In 2009/10 the trust admitted 250 patients presenting the condition, with the average length of stay at over two days, costing a minimum of £400 per patient per day.

Like many other hospitals, the trust had limited specialist ENT experience in their emergency departments, and as a consequence nasal packing was frequently used as a first line treatment – even for small volume bleeding – when a more conservative or targeted approach would have been safe and effective. There was a clear opportunity here for the patient pathway to be revised and a different approach taken.

Through the ABPI, a joint working project was instigated between a local pharmaceutical company and the trust. They jointly agreed – through a joint working agreement – to truly address the challenges within the current treatment regime and completely redesign the service. Consequently, it addressed the training requirements within A&E and junior doctors.

The new treatment pathway encouraged clinicians to identify the bleeding point, if possible, and in cases of continued bleeding, to consider the use of a product manufactured by the local company – thereby avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions. The company and trust continued to work in partnership to develop training materials in order to develop the new treatment pathway and introduce the use of the medicine where possible.

This venture resulted in a number of positive outcomes, which included a reduction in hospital stays, improving productivity and cost savings. But most importantly, when compared with the three preceding years, the audit of the venture showed that the total number of bed days due to epistaxis, was reduced by 30 per cent and length of stay was reduced by 21 per cent. Additionally, staff were motivated to consider an alternative to immediate nasal packing/admission, which also resulted in a reduction in the length of stay.

QIPP while ahead
Working with the Department of Health and the NHS, we have developed a toolkit on successful joint working. Joint working is a relatively new concept for many, but has already shown tangible benefits to patients, the NHS and industry. For example:

East Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) reduced hospital admissions for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) by 23%, through working with three companies to target and screen patients, train clinicians and set up specific COPD clinics.

In Ashton Leigh and Wigan the PCT is tackling low life expectancy, high rates of heart disease and diabetes by working with industry on a ‘Find and Treat’ strategy.

The innovative approach to patient care adopted by that trust was aligned with the Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention (QIPP) programme. QIPP is an NHS initiative to improve the quality of care it delivers, while at the same time making savings that can be reinvested into the service. It engages with staff from across the NHS, at local and regional level, and is supported by QIPP plans and work streams that provide guidance and tools.

The NHS also works with a range of partners to deliver QIPP, one of which is the pharmaceutical industry. Apart from supplying medicines that improve the quality of patients’ lives and outcomes, the industry can contribute business skills and expertise, as well as extensive knowledge of the therapy areas relevant to its medicines.

Joint working is the foundation for creating, developing and implementing innovative healthcare solutions which can lead to better health outcomes. We believe this is the way forward in healthcare and both the NHS and industry must seek out more opportunities to work together.