Steve Turley, Managing Director of Lundbeck, has been re-elected Chair of the European Medicines Group (EMG), the UK voice of pharmaceutical companies based in continental Europe.

Robin Bhattacherjee, General Manager of Actelion, was re-elected vice-Chair of the EMG; and Mike Sumpter, CEO of Servier Laboratories, was elected Treasurer.

Issues highlighted at the EMG’s twelfth AGM included the impact of NHS reform on European-based companies and European perceptions of the UK as a pharmaceutical market and research base.

The EMG’s 15 member companies are Actelion, Almirall, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Ferring, Lundbeck, Menarini, Merck Serono, Norgine, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Roche, Sanofi, Servier and UCB.

Steve Turley (pictured) commented: “We have members ranging from the UK’s biggest pharmaceutical companies, through biotechnology specialists to emerging organisations. Yet we all share common challenges and can benefit from being able to view these through a European-focused lens.”

“How the implementation of the NHS reforms affects European-based companies is a key issue this year,” noted Robin Bhattacherjee.

“Upwards of 60% of the medicines our members have introduced in the last decade have not been subject to a NICE health technology appraisal, so... local decision making in the CCGs about the use of these remains a major focus for EMG.”

Mike Sumpter noted: “Globally the UK is viewed as a tough market where innovative new medicines aren’t adopted as readily as similar economies.

“We want to work closely with our NHS stakeholder partners to demonstrate that the UK and the NHS is worth investing in.”

Lundbeck is based in Denmark, Actelion in Switzerland and Servier in France; all three companies have major UK operations.

We look back through the pages of Pf at what was happening in the pharma industry and the world five years and ten years ago.

March 2008

March 2008 was a turbulent month, with rioting in Tibet, bombing in Gaza, a Columbian raid on Ecuador, and the collapse of the Antarctic ice shelf. 

Arthur C. Clark, visionary author of 2001, died at the age of 90. The cinemas captured the mood of crisis, with a British SF film about a lethal virus sharing audiences with a satire on McCarthyism adapted from the work of Dr Seuss. New albums from Nick Cave, Bauhaus, Counting Crows and Nine Inch Nails underlined the disturbed mood, though Du†ffy’s Rockferry kept the UK public dancing around its increasingly empty handbags.

The lead article in the March Pf was ‘The changing face of sales’, an examination of the growing importance of networking and teamwork for medical sales professionals seeking to engage with the NHS. Sales has its own ‘open innovation’, and this article’s insights are still valid. Other articles looked at aspects of commissioning, compliance and coaching. In a new 

series, ‘Confessions of a medical representative’, our correspondent turned around a “lose-lose situation” with an honesty born of despair. A pro€file of Boehringer Ingelheim enticed the BI-curious by emphasising the company’s high levels of staff† retention and employee satisfaction.

The news section featured criticisms of the pharma industry – in particular, accusations of concealing evidence from clinical trials, promoting psychiatric drugs more widely than their e†ffectiveness justi€fied, and ‘evergreening’ (covertly blocking generic competition to brands). The ABPI declared the accusations unfounded. Some things never change.

March 2003

In March 2003, documents presented by the US government as proof that Iraq was developing a nuclear bomb were exposed as crude forgeries. None the less, the invasion began on schedule. Country rock band the Dixie Chicks told a London audience “We’re ashamed the President of the US is from Texas,” then went home to face a vicious backlash. Steps were taken worldwide to control the threat of SARS, a deadly form of pneumonia. Cinema audiences took comfort from the adventures of Piglet and the courage of a young Sikh woman leaving home to be

The March Pf examined the issue of flexible working, with new employment legislation helping companies and staff to tailor their contracts through job sharing, home working, flexitime and similar arrangements. Does that mean a better work-life balance or just a loss of job security? Managers at Pfizer, Abbott Laboratories and Alchemy discussed the flexible working arrangements they had introduced – all of which, in their experience, were full of win.come a footballer.

Other articles examined the skills needed for first-line sales management, explained how medical sales professionals can support GPs through the trauma of appraisal, and broke down the physician and nursing teams of a large hospital into manageable components for business engagement. A profile of Futures Resourcing explained its strategy of meeting the broad recruitment needs of clients and the long-term employment needs of candidates – from contract sales professionals to senior management – by functioning as a ‘total resourcing organisation’.

The news section featured Boehringer Ingelheim’s approval of a High Court judgement obliging parallel importers to respect product packaging and trademark rights. This was such good news, in fact, that Pf printed it twice: as industry news and again as product news. Other news stories included the new GP contract and the approval of Schering-Plough’s Remicade (infliximab) for treatment of two painful conditions, Crohn’s disease and ankylosing spondylitis, in the EU. These were covered once only, but with no less attention to detail.

We’re often plagued by the idea that somehow – perhaps in a different city, company or even civilisation – we could be reaching new, higher, dizzier heights. Especially when you see rival colleagues using the latest mobile, tablet devices or driving off into the sunset in that brand new hatchback – yes, the one with the heated seats you saw on Top Gear last month – and giving you an obscene salute as they do so.

But is there any definitive way of knowing if you’d be better off somewhere else? Of course, there are those generic online tools that give you the average salary of every Londoner under the age of 90. But they are probably not the best benchmarking tools to use when plucking up the courage to ask your boss for a pay rise, during one of those awkward appraisals. Although, there is another way.

The Pf Company Perception, Motivation and Satisfaction Survey – which is now in its 12th year – provides a comprehensive temperature check on the essential elements of everyday working life for those toiling away in the medical sales sector. It gives those working within the pharmaceutical industry in the UK the opportunity to have their say on what matters the most to them.

The Survey has now been completed by more than 14,000 medical sales professionals since it was first launched in 2001. It accurately portrays the views of the industry on important motivation and satisfaction factors such as remuneration, bonuses, work-life balance, job security and company culture. Pharmaceutical bosses can also see how long their staff actually spend on CRM systems whilst in the field and also discover whether employees have had their head turned by that eye-catching aqua blue sports car and are ready to jump ship.

Yet it’s not just pharmaceutical companies who bene t from the results. The Survey is a friend to all. Much like a Swiss army knife, it has various tools and attributes to help those who access it. It’s a pen knife one minute slashing dated contracts of employment then a bottle opener the next popping open the bubbly to celebrate an improved Employer of Choice ranking place.

The Employer of Choice

Another facet to the Survey is the coveted Employer of Choice rankings. Respondents are asked to choose the company they’d most like to work for within the industry – bar their own of course! ­The company chosen the most wins the Employer of Choice gong. Simple.

In recent years it’s been a two horse race for the EoC accolade. Boehringer Ingelheim and Roche have got toe-to-toe for the top spot since 2007. But it’s been Boehringer which has come out on top for the last six years as the company which is deemed to be the most desirable to work for within the industry. Nick Doe, Sales Director, BI, says the credit must be placed at the company’s skilled workforce for keeping the company in the prized top spot for so long. “It is a real credit to everyone in our field force, our managers and all at Boehringer Ingelheim who are dedicated to putting the patient at the centre of the everything we do.”

The Employee

One experienced key account manager – who wished to remained anonymous, from a medium-sized pharmaceutical company – used the salary comparison tool to negotiate an improved deal after finding out she was being paid less than her industry counterparts. “I was quite surprised actually when I first read in Pf that I was being paid less than other people doing my job in the industry. In fact, I always considered myself to be well paid for the job that I do. For that reason I’d never really explored what other KAMs with the same level of experience were on – especially as I’d been with my company for a few years. I just assumed we’d all be on around the same figure. However, when I read one of the articles on salary in Pf and realised I could be getting more money elsewhere I couldn’t just ignore that fact.

“I went to speak with my superior to discuss a pay rise and showed him the comparison with other key account managers with my level of experience and how much more money they were receiving compared to me. Discussing money is always a tricky subject but the facts and figures were there in black and white to support my case. Thankfully the matter was addressed pretty swiftly. I’m so glad I took part in the survey and read the survey articles. Without the Pf Survey results I’d still be underpaid and none the wiser.”

Anonymous Key Account Manager from a medium-sized pharmaceutical company: you’re welcome.

The Employer

€The results from the Survey may have seen certain pharma companies having to dig a little deeper into their pockets to ensure valued staffŠ members are kept happy and motivated. But the data resulting from the survey results is valued in other ways. It’s not only field-based employees who keep a keen eye on the main motivating factors which matter to respondents. Pharma companies use these to entice hot talent away from competitors and keep their own main players happy.

When employees at Astellas raised concerns around a recent change to the car policy one year, the survey witnessed the biggest ever shift in one parameter when it acted upon the suggestions of staŠff and improved its company car scheme. Astellas wasn’t the only pharma company to listen to its staffŠ after the survey results were published.

Lundbeck UK calls upon its staffŠ to voice opinions on important decisions – a move which has seen them outscore industry rivals in a number of parameters. “€The scores that we have had for the latest survey results are significantly higher than that of our industry colleagues,” Helen Carberry, Lundbeck UK Head of Human Resources and Development said.

“We consistently outperform in the industry averages. Ratings for ‘belief in products’ is really strong and that is our highest satisfactory score. Also, for ‘company culture’ we are almost double the score across the industry in that parameter,” Helen added.

Yet these top-of-the-table rankings have not come about by chance, as explained by Helen. “We do have a real focus on people here at Lundbeck UK,” she said. “It’s something which is important to us because that is ultimately how we achieve our results. We have high levels of loyalty and commitment within the organisation, and our own internal satisfaction survey highlights that.

“In terms of our strategy, there are three pillars which support everything that we do. One of those pillars is being great place to work. We set out this year, very much like the 12 months prior to that, that our focus is on delivering excellent results, delivering value to customers, whilst also being a great place to work. As part of that, developing people and living our culture are the two main foundations which support that strategic pillar of being a great place to work. People are really, really important to us.”

This was re™flected as Lundbeck UK was awarded the Best Companies One Star Accreditation in 2012. € The company now aims to build on the success of its survey results as it adapts to the changing market place in the UK. “We are a lean organisation, which means we are very, very ™ exible. We have developed a structure that can be either built on as and when new products come through or simply added to over time. Lundbeck UK can only go from strength to strength.”

€The 2013 Company Perception, Motivation and Satisfaction Survey can now be completed at www.pharmasurvey.co.uk. It is managed by Dr B Payne of Conker Statistics (a fellow of the Royal Statistical Society) and provides a benchmark of field force remuneration, motivation, satisfaction, perception and recruitment. Confidentiality is of paramount importance and your anonymity is therefore guaranteed. It takes only minutes to have your say at pharmasurvey.co.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.

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.

Eli Lilly has resumed sole development and commercialisation rights to a new insulin analogue formerly covered by its diabetes alliance with Boehringer Ingelheim.

The alliance, formed two years ago, centred on four pipeline compounds relevant to major aspects of diabetes treatment.

The basal insulin analogue LY2605541will now progress to clinical trials under Lilly’s sole control.

The two companies are still working together to develop and commercialise three products including Trajenta (linagliptin), a drug for type 2 diabetes.

The partnership aimed to provide a broad portfolio of drugs for people with diabetes, but Lilly has now opted to shift LY2605541to its own drug portfolio.

Lilly will continue with the planned clinical trials of LY2605541, which will support regulatory submissions and evaluate the new drug’s safety, efficacy and differentiation.

Encouraged by the phase 1 and 2 clinical trial data for LY2605541, Lilly hopes to present phase 3 data and gain regulatory approval in 2014.

Enrique Conterno (pictured), President of Lilly Diabetes, said: “Boehringer Ingelheim is an important partner in our strategy to provide a broad portfolio of diabetes medicines, and our diabetes alliance remains strong.

“There is no group of patients with whom Lilly has a deeper history than those impacted by diabetes. If approved, this basal insulin analogue will be an important addition to the Lilly portfolio.”

Eli Lilly, the first company to commercialise insulin, has a long history of innovation in diabetes treatment.

As Santa starts to think about who he is going to reward for good behaviour, it would seem appropriate for Pf to look at which pharma companies deserve the biggest slice of Christmas cake, what made them stand out during 2012 and the resolutions they have for the New Year.

There can be no denying it’s been another turbulent twelve months for the pharmaceutical industry. Job losses across the majority of departments, generic exposure on key products and failing pipelines have been enough to make bosses choke on their deep-filled mince pies and turn to the brandy butter.
Yet there are still plenty of gifts under the tree to get excited about. Last year’s survey found that pharmaceutical employees continue to get paid well above the national average. Meanwhile, fewer people are looking to move company compared to the year before and pharma reps have maintained a belief in company culture, despite major departmental reforms.

Here is a selection of the standout companies who defied the recession to top the Employer of Choice charts.

Abbott

Offering an open and supporting environment where employees can develop a career path across a diverse portfolio of businesses, Abbott sees the development of its people as “key to long-term commercial success”. The company boasts an “exceptional compensation and benefits package”, plus strong pipelines for all its businesses, from biologics and molecular drugs to medical devices.

After being voted one of the Best Multinational Workplaces in Europe by the Great Place to Work® Institute and listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for the seventh consecutive year, the company hopes to build on these successes in 2013. The company adds that “ethics and compliance will continue to underlie” everything it does to continue to improve access to treatment for patients across the globe.

Astellas

Size matters at Astellas. It says it is “small enough to be agile but big enough to make a difference.” This, coupled with a focused approach, has enabled it to achieve category leadership in urology and transplantation and a major presence in the anti-infective market. Collaboration between all team members and customers is “key to achieving success as outlined in our core values of teamwork, adaptability and mutual respect,” the company says. 

A recent company survey showed that almost 90% of employees were proud to work for Astellas and would recommend the company to a potential colleague. Astellas successfully implemented two patient information campaigns within the last 12 months to address dispensing errors in transplant medicine, enhance patient safety and to increase over-active bladder awareness through an extensive campaign. 

Boehringer Ingelheim

After recently celebrating 50 years of being in the UK, Boehringer Ingelheim went on to top the EoC rankings for the sixth year in a row. BI was also ranked one of the best companies to work for in the 2012 Sunday Times Top 100 ‘Best Companies’ survey. Using a culture of transparency and respect for individuals, it aims to “empower people and listen to their ideas”. An excellent standard of training is complemented by the emphasis being placed on personal development and improvement.

The company will now be focusing its efforts on ‘Painting BI’s Future’ – a strategic review in response to the changing environment. Recommendations are now being further developed through the initiative, with eight cross-divisional teams exploring how to make the recommendations a reality. Additionally, ‘Making more health’ is a global partnership with Ashoka focused on identifying and supporting innovative health solutions. 

LEO Pharma

LEO’s unique Foundation status allows it to be financially independent and means that decisions are based on “what is best for the business in order to build long-term growth”, it says. This also provides a platform from which to implement focused, long-term R&D programmes – 17% of global annual turnover is allocated to R&D, enabling LEO to make fast decisions and respond quickly to innovative ideas.

The company has enjoyed a successful 2012 with double-digit sales growth in its two focus areas – Dermatology and Thrombosis – plus continued US growth and a robust pipeline. A series of patient-centric initiatives have also been successful. Ambitious plans have recently been released outlining how LEO intends to build a global and patient-centric organisation designed to bring it even closer to patients around the world and better listen and respond to their challenges.  

Napp Pharmaceuticals Ltd

Napp has two key strengths that underpin its commercial success: its people and the culture they create. The company believes that everybody should have the “opportunity and responsibility to perform to the best of their abilities”, which ensures employees are supported to develop and have the opportunity to play an active role in planning for its future.

The Company has introduced Napp Account Selling, an approach to key
account management through which all departments work together to find innovative ways to support the NHS in achieving its goals whilst ensuring business sustainability. In 2012, it launched a new respiratory product, and is committed to becoming a long-term partner to the NHS in respiratory medicine, whilst maintaining its position as a leader in pain and continuing to grow its oncology business – focusing on treatments for patients with blood cancers.

Roche Products Ltd

Roche says its values – integrity, courage to reach beyond boundaries and passion for they do – allow its employees to “express themselves in an open and respectful environment”. Its evolving business creates numerous internal opportunities both locally and globally for staff. Highlighting the importance of collaboration, Roche uses feedback, knowledge sharing, debate and co-operation as the foundation of its performance culture. The result, it says, is “one of the most exciting and open-minded places to advance your career”. 

After celebrating more than a century of innovation, the company continues to carefully balance long-term investment decisions with near-term deliverables. Roche continues to improve motivation through instilling energy, creativity and passion into all of its staff pursuits. Expertise in the field and leadership are displayed through a host of cross-industry initiatives to address inequalities in access to medicines for eligible patients.

The Pf Company Perception, Motivation and Satisfaction Survey – which launches in January 2013 – gives key account managers and their colleagues a chance to air their opinions on the good, the bad and the ugly sides of the industry.

The Survey also includes the coveted Employer of Choice guide – where respondents get the opportunity to voice who they’d most like to work for – not including their own company, of course!

A new convenient tablet for the treatment of type 2 diabetes has been launched in the UK.

Boehringer Ingelheim/Eli Lilly’s Jentadueto was licensed in Europe in July earlier this year after Phase III data showed it led to a significant reduction in HbA1c glucose levels.

Jentadueto combines metformin with the dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)-IV inhibitor Trajenta (linagliptin) in a single pill.

Dr Richard Brice, Chair of Whitstable Medical Practice, said the new treatment provides patients with a convenient alternative to existing options. “Compliance is a recurring problem for patients, especially those with comorbidities such as hypertension, dyslipidaemia, cardiovascular disease and depression, struggling to take a number of tablets every day,” he said.

The prevalence of diabetes is expected to increase rapidly in the UK in coming years – placing further pressure on healthcare services. By 2030, it’s expected that more than 5.5 million people in the UK will have diabetes.

NICE has recommended the use of Boehringer Ingelheim’s Actilyse (alteplase) in final guidance for the treatment of acute ischaemic stroke.

Actilyse has been recommended as an option for use on the NHS as long as it is administered as early as possible within 4.5 hours after the onset of stroke symptoms and once bleeding on the brain has been ruled out with a scan.

Professor Carole Longson, NICE Health Technology Evaluation Centre Director, said the benefits of Actilyse in reducing long-term disability are “well recognised”.

The UK Stroke Association estimates there are more than 130,000 people in England and Wales who have a stroke each year. Ischaemic strokes are believed to account for around 80% of all strokes.

The recommendation follows an update to Actilyse’s license which allows an extension in the time period it can be used – from three hours to within 4.5 hours of the onset of symptoms.

“Today’s guidance recommending the use of alteplase within the extended time frame for which it is now licensed has the potential to have a significant impact on the treatment of thousands of patients,” said Professor Longson.

NICE has updated its recommendation on the use of Boehringer Ingelheim’s Actilyse (alteplase) for the treatment of acute ischaemic stroke after the drug’s licence was changed.

Actilyse is now recommended in draft guidance as long as the treatment is administered as early as possible within 4.5 hours after the onset of stroke symptoms, and after intracranial haemorrhage has been excluded by appropriate action.

Professor Carole Longson, NICE Health Technology Evaluation Centre Director, said the updated recommendation has the “potential to have a significant impact” for thousands of patients.

The UK Stroke Association estimates that more than 130,000 people in England and Wales have a stroke each year. Approximately 80% of these cases are as a result of ischaemic strokes.

Actilyse was initially licensed for treatment within 3 hours of the onset of stroke symptoms. NICE acknowledged the benefits of the treatment in reducing the long-term disability caused by stroke and say its new license now fits in line with its quality standard for the condition.

Final guidance on the recommendation is now expected in November 2012.