More than Medicine: February 2009 Archives

The President's Call to Action on Cancer

By Ken, GSK Communications on February 25, 2009 4:55 PM | 1 Comment

It was thrilling to hear President Obama call for research to find a timely cure for cancer in his address to Congress last night. Having this commitment at the highest levels of our government will only help propel the work GSK is already doing in this area.

We remain steadfast in this quest, investing time and resources to fight cancer on many fronts, notably, through cancer prevention and targeted therapies. As well, we remain committed to the cancer community, working to provide patients with access to our medicines when they cannot afford them.

Throughout his speech last night, President Obama called for bipartisan support of his initiatives, and positioned his energy, education and healthcare reform agendas as challenges for all Americans--issues to be solved by reaching across the aisle and working together. Similarly, pharmaceutical companies like GSK need to be a catalyst for healthcare reform by casting aside differences and working with important players in healthcare--policy makers, patient advocates, research organizations, payors, and the medical community--so that, collectively, we might find better treatments--and cures--for the many types of cancer plaguing us.

To build upon what Gaile said earlier today, the healthcare reform train is clearly moving, and GSK should and will be on it.

Healthcare reform can't wait.

By Gaile, GSK Public Policy on February 25, 2009 10:28 AM | 1 Comment

In his speech to Congress last night, President Obama left no doubt about where he stands on the urgency of healthcare reform. Conflicting ideas on how to "fix" healthcare are in play and the task will be contentious, but most people agree with him that both the health of Americans and our economy necessitate action--now.

The President stated that his budget, which we'll see on Thursday, will include the largest investment ever in disease prevention. This is encouraging news to hear that more muscle will be put behind a common sense principle: keeping people healthy will help curb healthcare spending!

This administration's commitment to invigorate cancer research is also welcomed news for all Americans, as each of us is very likely to be touched, directly or indirectly, by cancer. There is a great deal of intellectual effort and economic investment waging war against many cancers by the private and public sectors right now. To hear a commitment to finding cures from the President shows that medical innovation--from the collaboration of researchers in private industry, academia, and government--must be a cornerstone of healthcare reform.

The President's budget later this week, his healthcare summit next week...looks like the healthcare reform train is gaining steam.

It's not too late, but there is no time to waste.

By Michael M, GSK Communications on February 24, 2009 1:51 PM | 1 Comment

It's a big day for healthcare reform.

Tonight President Obama will address Congress and is expected to go into more detail about what the healthcare overhaul will look like. A new report from HHS "paints a stark picture" of the problem, according to the AP.

The report, due out tomorrow in Health Affairs, found health care costs will average $8,160 this year for every man, woman and child, an increase of $356 per person from last year. The report estimates that healthcare costs will reach $13,100 per person in 2018, accounting for $1 out of every $5 spent in the economy.

We need to slow--or even better, lower--our healthcare spending, which has proven difficult. The American healthcare system is based on acute episodic care, and relies on costly high-tech tests and procedures--while half our population suffers from chronic conditions which are often preventable and manageable. We need to keep people healthier for longer.

We all know that prevention efforts--diet/exercise/regular screenings and checkups--are important and can help us stay healthier longer; and that chronic disease management needs to be taken more seriously. Medication adherence rates are low in this country, and patients need follow their doctors' orders to treat chronic diseases, which includes taking prescription medicines as directed.

But our approach to healthcare needs to become much more ingrained. For example, our communities must be designed to enable exercise. A suburban neighborhood, with no central district and no sidewalks does not encourage neighbors to walk after dinner, and neither will a city neighborhood with poor lighting. I just started using a pedometer today. It takes 4,600 steps for me to get to work. It is recommended that we each take 10,000 steps per day. If our environments do not encourage us to walk, we'll never make it.

Let's start looking at our health as part of an overall approach to improve the fortunes of our country. For individuals, better health is linked to an improved quality of life--so we all need to start exercising more and eating better.

A healthier employee is more productive, and costs less than a sick one--so employers should look at offering prevention and disease management programs to employees.

A healthier population will cost less. But we need to focus on what is ruining our health and costing us the most money: chronic diseases. And we need to do it now before it is too late.

Big wheel keep on turnin'...

By Michael M, GSK Communications on February 24, 2009 10:52 AM | 2 Comments

Ah, Fat Tuesday. We're always spinning that cyclical wheel of decadence and denial, feast and famine, bulls and bears, aren't we? Well, on this Fat Tuesday, let's try to remember that a long-term view--whether it is of our fortunes or our health--is usually a better approach than a short-term fix.

The President should be making an announcement around healthcare reform this week (tonight?)--let's hope that he takes into consideration the importance of focusing on what's driving our poor health and high healthcare costs: chronic diseases.

The Importance of Transparency

By Michael M, GSK Communications on February 20, 2009 1:16 PM | 1 Comment

I don't think many would dispute the fact that as an industry, we've done a poor job of explaining the work that we do and the people with whom we work. This includes our interactions with groups outside the walls of our offices, such as patient advocacy organizations and healthcare professionals.

Today, GSK published its first-ever report of grants and sponsorships provided to US healthcare organizations. The report follows our announcement last summer that we intended to share information about grant funding through quarterly reports.

We provide grants and sponsorships for programs and organizations that foster increased understanding of scientific, clinical, and healthcare issues, and contribute to the enhancement of patient care. These types of grants can range from supporting runs and walks to raise money for cancer or diabetes research to helping fund brochures and educational programs for patients. We also sponsor independent medical education programs, commonly referred to as CME, for physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals to increase their knowledge, with a goal of ultimately improving patient care.

There will always be critics who say that we are only doing this to sell more of our products. But supporting educational efforts in our community and showing our support to patients and healthcare professionals are an important part of our corporate mission to improve the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.

While we are not the first company to publish these reports, we surely won't be the last. In fact, we believe that each sector of the healthcare industry needs to do its part to improve transparency. In the future, we look forward to making more information about the ways in which we work available to the public. For instance, later this year, we plan to begin publishing a report of payments provided to US healthcare professionals.

We know that we need to earn the right to operate as a pharmaceutical company, and our ever-evolving business model and policies reflect our willingness to respond to the needs of society. It's important that we do more to ensure that patients and the general public understand the types of programs that GSK supports--and why. Today, we are taking another step in the right direction.

Sebelius for HHS?

By Michael M, GSK Communications on February 19, 2009 10:24 AM | 3 Comments

There are reports that Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius is being discussed as the leading candidate for Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Sebelius has experience, including eight years as her state's insurance commissioner and six years as a governor running a state Medicaid program.

She also has some bipartisan cred--both professional and personal--which will certainly come in handy. She is a Democratic governor in a heavy Republican state, and her administration has represented both sides. Her father was a Democratic governor of Ohio, and her father-in-law was a Republican member of Congress from Kansas.

She won her first term with a former Republican businessman as her running mate. Her second term was won with the former Republican state party chairman on her ticket.

More to come...

A Catalyst for Change

By Sarah, GSK Communications on February 16, 2009 12:58 PM | 1 Comment

Last week, I traveled with Andrew Witty as he spoke with media, government leaders, and faculty and students at Harvard Medical School about GSK's new policies to address the needs of the developing world.

With refreshing candor, Andrew outlined our goal to be more innovative, open-minded and flexible to help people afflicted with neglected tropical diseases--diseases like malaria and lymphatic filiriasis (LF) which often don't take precedence--and the barriers to access facing the world's poorest countries.

Our plan includes four specific changes, including:

· a more flexible approach to intellectual property in the 50 least-developed countries in the world through the development of a patent pool for neglected tropical diseases

· a reduction in prices for patented medicines in these countries so that they will be no higher than 25 percent of the price in the developed world, assuming we can cover our cost of goods

· a "bricks and mortar" approach to the patent pool by opening the doors of our R&D facility in Tres Cantos, Spain to external partners with the goal of creating a truly world-class, global center of excellence for diseases of the developing world

· the re-investment of 20% of the-albeit very small-profit we make selling medicines in the least developed countries in infrastructure projects, such as the building of clinics, nurse education and training, and perhaps even new supply chain mechanisms to get medicines to rural areas.

The message was simple: we do not claim to have all of the answers, nor that we can change the world. However, we have chosen to take a risk by evolving our business practices and model for the developing world. We will not to shirk from difficult issues or hard decisions. In doing so, we aim to be a catalyst for change.

While we cannot predict the response of our allies or our critics, we hope that others will join us in these endeavors because it's the right thing to do. So far, the response has been supportive. (Read more from The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and The Guardian (UK)).

People want reform.

By Michael M, GSK Communications on February 11, 2009 12:05 PM | 1 Comment

Another Harris poll (actually, it's a Harris interactive/Health Day poll) is out today. This one found that there is strong support for President Obama's healthcare reforms:

Half of the 2,491 adults surveyed in the nationwide poll said they either "strongly" or "somewhat" supported the president's plan to overhaul health care.
Twenty-nine percent said they were still not sure about the plan, while 20 percent expressed opposition to the Obama proposals.

So far, we've not seen a whole lot of detail as to what reform will look like, but we do know that Obama see's the need for our healthcare system to be accessible to more people at a lower cost. We heard this in stump speeches and after Obama took office.

I already mentioned this once this week (and it won't be the last time...), but any reform efforts must focus on the primary driver of our healthcare spending: chronic diseases.

· Nearly half of us suffer from one or more chronic diseases, such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, which are often preventable and manageable.

· 75% of our healthcare spending goes toward treating chronic diseases. Let's focus on the real problem.

What should reform look like?

· Prevention--we need to keep people healthier for a longer time. We used to live shorter lives and were afflicted by more acute health problems. Now, we live longer and develop chronic conditions!

· Intervention--when people do become ill, we must make sure they have access to the right treatments and medicines at the right time. Not every patients responds the same way.

· Innovation--we must continue the search for better treatments and cures.

Now this is only part of reform, but unless we focus on the real problems, we may never get ahead of this problem.

Let's look at some numbers.

By Michael M, GSK Communications on February 9, 2009 12:56 PM | 3 Comments

A recent Harris Poll shows a dramatic change in what medicines people are purchasing and where they are purchasing them.

In just over two years, the proportion of adults who reported choosing generics over brand name prescription drugs has increased from 68% to 81%. In addition, more people are buying their medicines in discount stores like Wal-Mart and through the mail, rather than at chain or independent pharmacies.

In 2006, Harris predicted the increased use of low-cost generics, but these results were striking. "It is good news for those seeking to contain health care costs, including the government's Part D Medicare drug benefit program. It is not good news for pharmaceutical firms trying to generate the profits to fund their drug research, or for their shareholders."

Harris' commentary misses an important point, though.

According to a recent article in Health Affairs, prescription medicines--brand name and generic--account for only 10 percent of all health spending, much less than either hospitals (31 percent of the total) or doctors (18 percent). Since not all patients respond to medicines in the same way, we need to provide treatment options. The goal should not be to restrict access to medicines based on cost by only using generics, but focusing on what is really driving healthcare costs: chronic diseases. Nearly half of us suffer from one or more chronic diseases, which are often preventable and manageable, and $3 of $4 spent on healthcare goes toward treating chronic diseases. Let's focus on the real problem. How about more support for prevention efforts and disease management, and increasing the number of employers implementing value-based benefit design for employees and dependents?

Sometimes I think that we are not seeing the forest for the trees.

Go Red!

By Michael M, GSK Communications on February 6, 2009 12:57 PM | 1 Comment

Today is Go Red for Women Day, encouraging people to wear red as a symbol of the fight to wipe out heart disease and stroke. Their goal is a 25% reduction in coronary heart disease and stroke risk by the year 2010. Are you showing your support?

Heart disease and stroke are often preventable, and that is why I like the American Heart Association's "Go Red" campaign. It offers behavior changes (exercise and diet) that people can adopt immediately--and that is key to encouraging people to take care of their health.

FDA Tweets

By Michael M, GSK Communications on February 6, 2009 9:52 AM | 2 Comments

I consider myself pretty savvy when it comes to using new media tools. But I have struggled with finding a good use for Twitter. For me, Facebook status updates make more sense, so I never really kept up with my Twitter page.

That's why I was interested to learn yesterday that FDA launched a Twitter page (that is their Twitter avatar up there). With all of the product recalls due to the salmonella outbreak tied to products that contain peanut butter (nearly 900 since the outbreak!), the FDA began tweeting to alert the public about which products are affected.

Smart move on the FDA's part. And now I can see a good use for Twitter in communications.

Confident, but not complacent.

By Michael M, GSK Communications on February 5, 2009 2:43 PM | No Comments

It's Quarterly Results Season, and GSK announced our results this morning.

Although the world is in a serious economic crisis--and we knew that 2008 would already be a challenging year for us--we responded well.

You can view a video of Andrew discussing the past year, but here are a few important themes that he mentioned:

We're rapidly moving through our generic exposure--ahead of the rest of the industry.
Our business is increasingly diverse and robust.
We launched 12 new products.
R&D is VERY busy, with 30 late-stage medicines in development.
We won't be distracted by large scale M&A--we've got a clear strategy focused on driving our core business.

We're entering 2009 confident--but not complacent.

Listen to Andrew's message.

Mobilizing for Impact

By Michael M, GSK Communications on February 4, 2009 9:36 AM | No Comments

Bob Hope once said "If you don't have any charity in your heart you have the worst kind of heart trouble."

Lily Tomlin once quipped "I always wondered why somebody didn't do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody."

We all need to do our part--individuals and organizations. Corporations often talk about being responsible, such as lessening their impact on the environment, improving the communities in which they do business, or helping solve the many problems in the developing world. Another important way companies can have a positive impact is creating a culture of volunteerism with their employees.

GSK has long been an advocate for employee volunteerism, but this year, GSK decided to up the ante. This month, GSK launched "Orange Day," as GSK employees across the globe plan to take advantage of a company-paid day off to volunteer in their communities. The cumulative effort will transcend our already significant level of community service. One of the organizations that GSK employees are helping is StandUp For Kids, run by volunteers who assist homeless teens in Atlanta, as well as operating 39 other programs in 22 states and the District of Columbia, including Raleigh, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia, where GSK has a significant presence.

"We have 106,000 employees around the world," Andrew Witty, CEO, said. "Giving everyone a day of service is like 300 people volunteering full-time for an entire year. As long as I'm in this job, I will encourage everyone to take this opportunity to show that GSK is made of passionate, engaged people who take pride in making a difference for people who need help the most."

I'll be sure to report on our progress throughout the year!

Click here to learn more.

Race to the Top

By Michael M, GSK Communications on February 3, 2009 8:58 AM | 1 Comment

Feeling a little run-down? Follow Nina Kuscsik's advice, and climb out of that funk.

The Wall Street Journal reports today on the annual Empire State Run-Up--a race up the stairs to the top of the Empire State Building. Today, Kuscsik, the first woman to win the NYC Marathon, will join 349 others in a race to the roof.

While maybe a bit extreme for most of us, climbing stairs is a great workout. There is a group of employees at GSK in Philadelphia who climb the stairs from the 3^rd floor to the 24^th as a way to stay in shape. I joined them for the first time last week, and felt great after the climb. Hopefully I will stick with it.

Good health doesn't have to be about huge changes. Take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator. Get off the subway at the station before your normal stop and walk the rest of the way.

Small steps--that way maybe you won't get discouraged. Good luck, Nina!

February 2009 Archives