How Pharma needs to improve, according to patient groups in Asia-Pacific

18% of the 945 commentaries provided by respondent patient group from Asia-Pacific stated that pharma needs to improve its patient-group relations.

Six categories define the broad range of activities involved in patient group relations. Most cited by the AsiaPacific patient groups is category # 29: Sustain quality long-term support for patient groups.

Look to avoid long, complex contract arrangements that the partner patient group will find time consuming and burdensome to process. Make sure that the amount of time any patient group has to spend applying for funding from the company is worth the benefits the patient group will gain from the funding. Whenever possible, consider how to ensure in the relationship the patient-group’s stability of funding from the company.

As part of this process:

• Favour medium- to long-term (rather than short-term, or piecemeal) funding;

• Aim to fund patient-group projects likely to positively impact patients; and also

• Look for patient-group projects that further the patient group’s own patient-oriented goals.

Example comment from a rheumatic-diseases patient group, Australia: “Understanding that patient groups are also run as a business (profit for purpose), with a specific mission-driven objective (to support consumers), and recognise that this costs money to do so. Stop expecting not for profits to provide valuable information and access to consumer insights and support, for little-to-no support. Build professional working relationship[s] that are transparent, mutually beneficial, and have impact.”

18% of the 262 commentaries provided by respondent patient groups from ANZ stated that pharma needs to improve access to medicines.

Eight categories define the broad range of activities involved in improving access to medicines. Most cited by the ANZ patient groups is category # 48: Improve speed/quality of HTA and approvals.

Retain high standards of pharmacovigilance, while

• Accelerating HTA, insurer, payor, and regulatory approvals.

• Helping to keep patient views and priorities at the centre of the approvals process.

For example:

• Balancing company investment in local clinical research, and in market-access solutions, between high-, medium-, and low-income countries.

• Demonstrating to regulators how patients have been involved in R&D, and in commercialisation decisions—from identifying priority unmet needs, onwards.

• Involving all stakeholders early on in the research process, with the aim of enabling speedier approvals.

Example comment from a patient group specialising in general health issues, Australia: “Work within HTAi [Health Technology Assessment International] guidelines.”

22% of the 141 commentaries provided by respondent patient groups from China stated that pharma needs to improve access to medicines.

Eight categories define the broad range of activities involved in improving access to medicines. Most commonly cited by the Chinese patient groups is category # 44: Enable affordable pricing.

Focus on affordability throughout the development and commercialisation of a treatment, to help make treatments more affordable for healthcare systems, insurers, or individual patients. Be open to drug-pricing reforms, and to innovative pricing models requested by patient groups and healthcare systems.

Example comment from a rheumatic-diseases patient group, China: “Improve drug access in urban and rural areas, ensuring that products reach the patients who need them, and letting them access and afford the medicines they need.”

20% of the 212 commentaries provided by respondent patient group from Japan stated that pharma needs to improve its patientgroup relations.

Six categories define the broad range of activities involved in patient group relations. Most commonly cited by Japanese patient groups is category # 28: Enable effective two-way communication with patient groups.

Once a relationship with a patient group is initiated, that relationship needs to be kept alive and productive, with regular, personal, two-way contact. For example:

• Aim to keep in place, for as long as possible, a dedicated point of contact with the patient group.

• Build two-way communication (such as virtual webinars) into all of the company activities that involve the patient group.

• Respond quickly to questions and requests from the patient group.

• Connect the patient group with the most-appropriate contacts within the company.

Example comment from a respiratory patient group, Japan: “There should be more active exchanges of information. Participation in lectures and exchange meetings held by patient groups. Hold periodic, and timely, information-exchange meetings. Hold meetings to provide explanations of new drug launches to patients (it will be fine if these are only attended by executives), or provide notification of such meetings. Comparisons of adverse reactions in Japan and in foreign countries, and make suggestions of how likely these are to occur with similar drugs.”