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Novartis Demonstrating Leadership During COVID-19 Pandemic

Fernando Cruz - Novartis Group Mexico
Country President and Head of Corporate Affairs and Communication

STORY INLINE POST

Miriam Bello By Miriam Bello | Senior Journalist and Industry Analyst - Wed, 06/10/2020 - 09:30

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Q: What is Novartis current investment in Mexico and which areas are priorities?

A: Last year, Novartis made a US$20 million investment for 2019-2020 in the country. Most of this investment is allocated to clinical R&D because we think the country has favorable conditions to become a regional hub for clinical research. Mexico has an important number of patients under IMSS coverage and in total, the public sector tends to more than 70 million patients. Also, there is a great deal of talent among healthcare professionals and enough infrastructure to make this investment a smart choice. Additionally, COFEPRIS is a reference in regulatory processes in the region, which allows clinical studies done in Mexico to gain faster approval in many countries of the region that have COFEPRIS as a reference.

As a result of our latest investment, Novartis’ footprint in Mexico is around US$500 million, including our investment in talent and in our Shared Services Center that caters to all our operations in America, even in the US.

Q: How is Novartis an ally to the Mexican government in improving healthcare coverage and conditions?

A: Novartis is aware of the healthcare priorities of the country. We organize product launches based on these priorities to provide a coherent portfolio offer. Mexico maintains a high prevalence of diabetes, as well as cardiovascular diseases and chronic kidney diseases. Novartis has a strong portfolio of solutions to treat these. Additionally, our oncology area is a leader in treatment therapies.

The company also offers disruptive innovation solutions. We are the first company to launch FDA and EMA-approved treatments that are virtually beginning to cure some forms of cancer. Moreover, Novartis is innovating in gene therapy, where we have been able to develop a way to correct genetic defects or replace genes that are missing from people’s genetic codes that can cause diseases like spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), which has a high mortality rate. These innovations have allowed Novartis to start treating and curing patients with these ailments. Such is the case also for pediatric leukemia through cell therapy, which makes us the first company offering this type of treatment. Novartis is breaking the boundaries of innovation in medicine and science, treating and curing ailments that no so long ago were fatal.

Q: How does Novartis promote access to innovative medicines in Mexico?

A: With aging populations, the burden of chronic degenerative diseases on healthcare systems increases and there is no system in the world with enough resources to sustain that over time, which means that the whole industry needs to find sustainable ways to support healthcare. This implies introducing a new business model that can reshape the system.

To date, purchasing models are based on traditional methods of making an order and paying for the product. However, a new business model that pays based on results instead of doses can lead to better outcomes. The patient is able to receive an effective treatment, while the government reduces its costs. At a macro scale, these savings allow the sector to reallocate resources. This new payment method is also an effective way to measure the impact of our treatments on patients. There is still a long way to go but in Mexico, talks for applying this payment scheme for ailments such as multiple sclerosis or blindness caused by diabetic retinopathy have already started.

The general goal is to evolve together as an industry, while remaining aware of the changing needs of the population. At Novartis, having a true desire to help has led us to consider many accessibility models and purchasing schemes like this that can truly contribute to achieving universal healthcare coverage in a sustainable way. Aside from this, Novartis also has a very strong production line of generics that also enables accessibility of innovative medicine for the public and helps support the financial sustainability of the healthcare sector in Mexico.

Q: What has been Novartis’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic?

A: This pandemic has pushed everyone’s adaptability skills, not just in the healthcare industry. To be able to mitigate the impact of this crisis, Novartis needs to rise to the challenge as one of the global leaders in the industry. Our internal capacity and well-being come first, so one of our priorities was to reduce risk of exposure for our team members that needed to be working, as we are an essential activity and cannot stop operating. The team members that were able to work from home were doing so from the second week of March. Meanwhile, we intensified preventive measures at laboratories that require presential activities. Regarding patients, through our program Contacto (Contact) they are able to access their medicine with a discount and have it sent home. We had to be very careful with our medicine distribution and intensify sanitary protocols to reduce exposure of vulnerable groups to the pandemic, such as older people who need Novartis treatments. The company has also put many digital tools for mental health at our associates’ disposal, as well as educational tools and training sessions that can help them adapt to the new normal that is coming and that we are living.

At a global level, Novartis made a US$250,000 donation to FunSalud to contribute to its digital hospital retraining platform, which is an initiative that monitors available clinical infrastructure to receive patients and it also helps manage patients and follow up on their treatment.

Mexico’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard announced Novartis’ second contribution to the fight against the pandemic, which was the donation of hydroxychloroquine. This is being used as a malaria and lupus treatment in other markets, but it demonstrated positive preliminary results in clinical studies on treating COVID-19. Novartis is donating 59 million doses at a global level. Moreover, in Mexico we were able to articulate a donation that will allow 20,000 patients to receive treatment through a clinical protocol implemented by the National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition Salvador Zubirán (INCMNSZ).

Novartis’ commitment to Mexico, its institutes and patients has put us in a leadership place to mitigate the crisis. Our priority is to mitigate the effects of the crisis but also to prepare for the coming challenges that Mexico will face. Reactivating economic activity will be a challenge and Novartis has made a commitment to keeping every employee throughout the crisis. We hope that serves as an example to all our providers and other actors, because together these actions can contribute to a proper economic recovery.

The virus is here to stay, so the efforts we are doing now will have to remain when we return to normal activities. There will still be patients with COVID-19 and we cannot neglect other patients that require medical attention as people with chronic degenerative diseases are still depending on the public healthcare sector. Novartis has made a commitment to guarantee medicine supply for these diseases while pushing our purchasing models that will continue benefiting the system in the long run.

Q: What is the biggest lesson that Big Pharma and the healthcare industry can learn from COVID-19?

A: The entire health industry is under the spotlight. Beyond research and contributions, our role is to demonstrate ethical behavior and social commitments. The main lesson will be about adaptability as an industry and as a globalized world. Right now, it is too soon to predict what the new normal will be but the best way to face it is by adapting to the context and ensuring that our commitments go beyond keeping our business active.

Q: What are your short-term priorities for Novartis Mexico?

A: My first priority is keeping our associates safe and healthy. We have had a very low number of cases in the company and they have been properly identified and isolated, even though many of our associates are on the frontline and going to the hospitals.

I am aware of Novartis’ leadership position so I would like to take this opportunity to promote a culture of social commitment, through ethical practices and a faultless code of conduct. As a multinational company, Novartis has a huge responsibility to learn from our affiliates in other parts of the world that experienced the outbreak before and take this as a base for our actions.

It is necessary to highlight the importance of cooperation and understanding. Only through collaboration based on a genuine desire to help will we overcome this. By maintaining constant communication with associations, civil society and patient groups, our results will be truly beneficial and will therefore positively impact the healthcare sector. Novartis is assuming its leadership role by acting based on our commitment to society and by being an ally to Mexico during this healthcare crisis.

 

Novartis has multiple research laboratories focused on therapeutic areas, including neuroscience, oncology, respiratory diseases, dermatology and immunology. The company has 10 potential blockbuster launches planned for the next few years

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