Wanted: Innovative drugs
pharmafile | January 12, 2006 | Feature | Research and Development |Â Â prix galienÂ
When the UK government last month announced a series of measures to boost research and development in the NHS, its stated aim was to make the UK the best place in the world for health research, development and innovation. Some may argue that it already is.
Among those who know best, the UK pharma industry enjoys a deserved reputation for being one of the elite when it comes to researching, developing and delivering innovative new therapies to benefit public health all over the world. In fact, according to the ABPI, almost a quarter of the world’s top medicines were developed in the UK, remaining second only to the US in the development of the world’s most successful medicines.
But the battle for new therapies is constant, and although analysts speak of a widening innovation gap sparked by a dearth of new drug approvals and an absence of potential blockbusters, the UK industry continues to invest heavily in R&D, unearthing revolutionary treatments that achieve tangible health outcomes in the process.
More than 20% of the industry’s turnover is ploughed back into research for new medicines at a rate of almost 6 million pounds each day. Furthermore, in the past 40 years, medical advances in the UK have helped free hospital beds by halving the number of admissions for 12 major diseases, saving around 10 billion pounds annually.
Despite this, the industry perhaps does not get the recognition it deserves, finding itself all too often on the wrong side of the media and stereotypically perceived by the public as being driven by greed. Ironically, across all business sectors, the pharmaceutical industry consistently remains among the most innovative.
The UK Prix Galien is a celebration of that innovation. It provides an opportunity for all pharma companies, large and small, to showcase their clinical expertise and to promote all that is good about the sector.
What is the Prix Galien?
The Prix Galien is an internationally recognised award within the pharma industry. Launched in France in 1969, it was named after Roman Philosopher Claudius Gelenus (AD 131-201) widely regarded as the father of modern pharmacology and rewards outstanding achievement in research and development.
The UK Prix Galien was established 15 years ago to recognise the UK industry’s achievements in the evolution of medicines. Its main purpose is to recognise and reward innovation. Crucially, it remains the only award ceremony that is completely industry independent, judged by an esteemed panel of some of its toughest customers, headed by Professor Sir Michael Rawlins, chairman of NICE. Winners of the UK Prix Galien are entered into the International Prix Galien, which runs every two years and pits medical innovators from across the globe against each other.
The next UK Prix Galien will take place in September 2006 at the Houses of Parliament. Entrants must register online by 28th February, with the closing date for completed entries set for 31st March.
The UK franchise is owned by WG Consulting (formerly WestawayGillis), an independent healthcare consultancy specialising in Managed Entry.
WG Consulting not only look after the logistics and mechanics of staging the event as a whole, but more significantly assemble the judging panel of leading healthcare experts that gives the awards their acclaimed and enviable independence.
“The awards are judged by a completely independent panel of unquestionably eminent judges,” says Karen Westaway, joint chief executive at WG Consulting. “The value of the Prix Galien is directly linked to the calibre of this panel, which provides the foundation for the credibility of the event as a whole.”
WG Consulting’s position as specialists, who advise on how NHS resources need to adapt so that new innovations can be effectively introduced into the market, enables them to put together a judging advisory board of some of the most influential figures in healthcare.
With access to over 450 senior NHS associates and an involvement in helping introduce many new technologies into the NHS, the ‘fit’ with Prix Galien is obvious. The 2006 judging panel comprises an array of health technology appraisal experts from bodies such as NICE and the SMC, the support of whom emphasises the value and quality of the Prix Galien and underlines the significance of winning an award.
“These judges scrutinise data in the most rigorous manner. To be given an award by such a tough audience is a tremendous achievement,” adds Westaway.
Submitting your product
Although the UK Prix Galien operates some robust guidelines for submitting an entry, the process itself is fairly straightforward. Full details of how to enter the UK Prix Galien are available at www.westawaygillis.co.uk.
However, it is important to note that only products that have been launched or granted a new indication in the UK between January 2004 and March 2006 can be considered for the 2006 award. Products granted marketing authorisation in the UK through the EU centralised procedure, or available under the mutual recognition process, are also admissible.
The judging panel will be looking to identify products that have made the most significant overall contribution to patient care in the UK. They will look at items such as efficacy, safety, benefits and innovation, with entries divided into five key areas:
- Summary of submissions
- Conceptual innovation, originality of thinking and complexity of development
- Quality of clinical evaluation
- Cost-effectiveness and impact on the NHS
- Impact on Health Outcome
“There are strict guidelines to entering, and submissions certainly require careful thought and hard work,” says Westaway.
“People have so much data on their products and the temptation is to use it all, but the biggest challenge is to keep entries focused and clear. There is no right or wrong way to approach this, but some excellent entries have often been Health Technology Assessment (HTA) submissions that have been shaped appropriately to meet the submission requirements. If you have got a good HTA submission, you have got a good foundation upon which to build a UK Prix Galien entry.”
The public vote
In an environment where healthcare professionals are under pressure to reduce the costs of prescribing, a common misconception has been that decision-makers at the top of the NHS are trying to curb innovation in favour of making budget savings.
This has led to the perception that expensive drugs cannot win awards such as the Prix Galien, particularly when the head of the judging panel is the Chair of NICE. This, says Westaway, is untrue.
“The image is that in the UK we suppress innovation because we cannot afford to pay for it. In actual fact, the UK is a great supporter of innovation, and the value of it stretches far beyond simple cost. Professor Sir Michael Rawlins, for example, is a clinical pharmacologist. He is intently interested in new therapies, new modes of action and what they can do for the health of the nation.”
The myth is exploded by past Prix Galien victories of drugs such as Glivec and Herceptin (both 2002), which had previously been flagged as expensive. Viagra, too, was a Prix Galien winner in 2000, with Professor Rawlins noting how the drug succeeded in raising awareness of men’s health, in particular erectile dysfunction.
“It was seen as innovative, safe, and provided treatment where existing therapies had until then been shown to be sub-optimal,” he said.
Clearly, demonstrating a balance of innovation and real health outcomes, rather than cost-effectiveness, is a significant factor in determining winners of the UK Prix Galien.
Why enter?
The value of entering the UK Prix Galien is indisputable. Primarily, it is an internationally recognised award, which culminates in a lavish presentation at the Houses of Parliament this September. The prestigious award will be presented by Professor Rawlins.
Beyond this, entering the UK Prix Galien gives drug companies the chance to place new products under the direct scrutiny of a judging panel that is made up of key opinion leaders in the field of science and medicine itself a highly valuable exercise.
The benefits from a PR perspective are huge – likewise the affects success can have on corporate morale.
“Pharma companies employ all kinds of methods to motivate staff, but none can quite compete with the internal buzz that winning the Prix Galien can create,” says Westaway. “What’s more, the awards typically receive coverage in the medical and lay press, providing a fantastic opportunity for the industry to be viewed in a more deserving manner.”
The UK pharma industry already enjoys a reputation as being among the finest for medical innovation. While new government initiatives to support R&D and encourage original research can only enhance its standing in the global market, events such as the Prix Galien give the industry a platform on which true innovation can not only be benchmarked, but also recognised and rewarded.
The UK industry has consistently proved it has the Rx Factor. Now it’s your turn.
How to enter:
For further details on the UK Prix Galien, visit: www.westawaygillis.co.uk and click Prix Galien. Online registration should be made by 28th February 2006. Completed entries should be submitted by 31st March 2006.
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