Digitális és technológiai innovációk a változás idején - Pharma Digital panelbeszélgetés

Digitális és technológiai innovációk a változás idején:  A legfrissebb tudnivalók az üzletkritikus innovációk és az új technológiai megoldások terén. Kitekintés 2022-re és a gyógyszeripar jövőjére: Mire kell most felkészülnünk? - Selen Zeydanli Bisson (Merck), Mohamed Kamal (MSD, Zürich), Dr. Vereckei Péter (Pfizer), Moderátor: dr. Novák Zoltán, LL.M., PhD (TaylorWessing) (a beszélgetés angol nyelvű, szinkrontolmácsot nem biztosítunk)

dr. Novák Zoltán, LL.M., PhD (TaylorWessing)

A Taylor Wessing ügyvédi iroda szakembereinek tapasztalata a klasszikusnak számító munkajogi, kereskedelmi jogi jogterületektől, a legújabb technológiai kihívásokra választ kínáló szellemi tulajdonvédelmen át a gyógyszerjogig és a nemzetközi vitarendezésig terjed. A Novák Zoltán vezetésével kialakított Life Science munkacsoport a különböző jogterületek tapasztalatait ötvözve egyedülálló módon fókuszál az iparág speciális jogi igényeire. Tapasztalatunk a vérplazma előállításával kapcsolatos kereskedelmi szerződésektől egészen globális gyógyszerpiaci szereplők összeolvadásának társasági és versenyjogi támogatásáig terjed. A szektor szereplői részére nyújtott munkajogi tanácsadásunk elengedhetetlen elemét képezi az egészségügyi szakemberekre vonatkozó speciális többletkövetelmények alkalmazása. Adatvédelmi csoportunk hatékonyan biztosítja a GDPR megfelelést több olyan cég esetében, ahol központi elem az egészségügyi adatkezelés. A hagyományos gyógyszerengedélyezési tanácsadás mellett a koronavírus-járvány kitörése óta több ügyfél keresett meg bennünket professzionális COVID-tesztek engedélyeztetésével kapcsolatban is. Szellemi tulajdonvédelmi praxisunk gyógyászati készítményekre vonatkozó védjegyek lajstromozása és érvényesítése mellett szabadalmi kérdésekkel is foglalkozik. E magas szintű szakmai teljesítmény nyert elismerést különböző fórumokon, mint az év jogi csapata a szellemi alkotások jogában (2018), az év jogi csapata munkajogban (2019) illetve vált jegyzetté az adatvédelem, a munkajog és a vitarendezés hazai élmezőnyében (Legal500).

Selen Zeydanli Bisson, Central Europe Cluster Head, MD/GM Hungary, Merck

We at Merck are constantly on the lookout for groundbreaking developments and trends to ensure we can lead the change to improve patient outcomes and advance healthcare forward both at local and global level. Merck Group’s diverse set of business lines (Electronics, Life Sciences and Healthcare) enables this vision. 

When we think about business-critical innovation and tech adoption trends, we need to differentiate between those that are already with us like digital patient support programs, and those developments still being shaped today. Merck takes an active role in both employing the already available advancements and driving the discoveries and technologies going forward.

If first we look at the trends that have already shaped pharma companies in the recent past, we need to highlight two trends: 

  1. Patient empowerment: Pharma companies have become more active than ever before in supporting their patients with digital tools. Several new solutions emerged, just to mention a few from Merck:

    1. We support patients by making the administration of the drugs easier, for example with electronic drug delivery devices that are empowering patients and medical professionals by enabling patients with endocrine disorders to improve their treatment management. This solution also has a mobile app using augmented reality (AR) to lead the patient through the process of drug administration.

    2. Also, we offer patient support programs for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients combining a patient app, a website and a call center to enhance patient adherence and patient engagement by functions like recording how MS is impacting their life.

    3. Or we created an information center for patients with fertility problems, where due to the sensitivity of the topic, they can have an anonym chat to discuss their fertility related questions through a chatbot.

  2. HCP communication: Pharma companies also advanced a lot in having a fuller engagement with HCPs. These days most pharma companies apply digital channels and tools to make sure they can have an engaged interaction with the HCPs. Merck focuses on enabling HCPs to choose their most preferred communication channels and creating useful and user-friendly content about scientific advancements. HCPs were welcoming these digital technologies, but we also need to be aware of the growing fatigue about digital, so we need to find the right balance best fitting the needs of the HCPs and patients. 

The Merck Group also takes the leadership role in driving innovation in new fields. Just to mention two of our flagship innovation fields:

  1. Liquid biopsy technologies: This technology is expected to transform cancer diagnostics and treatment by offering a faster and less invasive way of getting detailed information about a person’s cancer. This method will contribute to the very important trend of precision or personalized medicine, which allows doctors to select the right treatments for a patient based on a detailed molecular understanding of their disease.

  2. AI-enabled health solutions: Merck Group has launched an initiative in China, which includes AI-related products and services that impact the medical and healthcare industries across their value chains, for example by increasing efficiency, saving costs or improving the customer experience. As a first step, Merck cooperates with Huchuang Union to co-develop an embryos observation system based on AI technology, to assist more couples to become parents. This fertility focused application of AI is expected to be followed by several additional initiatives.

Given a big portion of the innovations defining the healthcare in the next decades is still unknown, Merck also puts a lot of emphasis on embracing innovation:

  • Merck Innovation Center was established in 2018 with the purpose of connecting curious minds from all business sectors to join forces with external innovators to develop innovations beyond current boundaries. We provide the infrastructure needed to advance cutting-edge projects, along with state-of-the-art methods and tools. Among many others, the Center investigates topics like how digital technologies will enable data driven diagnosis, 24/7 therapy monitoring and predictive health management to be conducted remotely.

  • Open Innovation Offers: Beyond the dedicated Innovation Center, Merck also established several initiatives to stay open and be aware of new innovations around the world, such as the Innovation Cup, the Future Insight Prize, research grants and challenges, and many more.

  • In-house capabilities: Our company also works heavily on developing a strong in-house innovation muscle. Beside the research and development and internal innovation teams, Merck also employs 250 data scientists to stay up-to-date on the opportunities big data will bring to healthcare.