Impacting Patients' Lives Requires Patience

Let’s talk about patience in the life sciences sector.

No, that’s not a typo, I really do mean taking a moment to pause, reflect, and think beyond the short-term implications of the decisions we make.

Belgium’s pharma valley is a key driver of economic growth, and with the right policy and legislative choices, it can continue to be so. What is vital, however, is that we don’t confuse a need for action with a need for instant results from every cent spent.

Let me explain.

As an industry, we pride ourselves on speed. We respond to the latest health crisis as fast as possible, we ensure that patients get the urgent treatment they need, when they need it.

We are reactive to a fault, an instinct which can morph into short-sightedness, undermining the simple fact that investing money into the healthcare system now should be seen as an investment for the future, and not a cost.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo was clear in his intention to support this approach during the Belgian presidency of the European Union:

"The main message is that as Europeans, we should not just look at our healthcare as a cost. Of course, it costs us something. An important part of our budget, even. It is a very important part of our prosperity: a healthy life, but also an incredible number of jobs and entrepreneurship. [1]"

Changing perspective to invest in prosperity

Understanding the long-term benefits of investing in healthcare means we’ll need a change in perspective. And where better to lead the way in shaping this new mindset than Belgium, a country that has always been a breeding ground for innovation – from research and development to clinical trials and manufacturing?

For more than a century, Novartis has actively contributed to innovation within our Belgian healthcare ecosystem. In 2023 alone, we conducted nearly 100 clinical trials, which provided early access to our treatments for over 450 patients.

Investment into the Belgian pharmaceutical industry benefits our society as whole, and at Novartis, we want to continue to see Belgium thrive. However, a better future for us all will only happen if we work together. We need to invest in areas of innovation that will make a profound difference for our health system in the long term – and one way we can do this is by identifying the most pressing health concerns that the Belgian population is facing today.

Investing today, for our tomorrow

As we all know, cancer is the leading cause of death not just in Belgium, but throughout Europe. With over 70,000 cancer diagnoses nationally every year [2], we need to invest in the potential of emerging technologies now, for our long-term fight against this life-impacting disease.

And a groundbreaking technology with the potential to become an essential pillar of cancer care is radioligand therapy (RLT). Belgium is already an international leader in the manufacturing of nuclear medicine, with a full spectrum of education and clinical research.

At Novartis, we believe that Belgium has the expertise and facilities necessary to become a global RLT hub, with the potential to provide patients in Belgium with early access to innovative RLT treatments, and simultaneously deliver a significant boost for our economy.

Data as catalyst to save lives

Investing in innovation should not begin and end with groundbreaking treatments and technologies. A data-driven and pro-active care approach can also save lives. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are, together with cancer, the #1 killer to address in Belgium. These two diseases have a profound impact on our families, communities, workplaces and societies.

To early diagnose, treat timely, and crucially, prevent CVDs, Belgium’s healthcare system needs to unlock the full potential of data. Population Health Management (PHM), informed by the collection and analysis of population-level data (risk stratification), could be an answer.

Introducing the PHM concept for chronic diseases, via a pilot in CVDs, would enable a proactive approach to CVDs, decreasing pressure on our healthcare system while increasing efficiency, prevention, treatment timelines and inducing a population-based long-term vision. 

Alongside RLTs, PHM is a perfect example of this change in perspective – away from reactive care, and towards proactive, preventative action – that the Belgian “pharma valley” so desperately needs.

Overcoming obstacles to remain at the forefront

And yet, staying competitive within the ever-evolving life science remains a challenge.

Belgium’s “pharma valley” is jeopardized by increasing costs and production prices, which are rising faster than elsewhere in Europe. Increasingly, European legislation is creating roadblocks that, for example, make it more appealing for clinical trials to take place in countries outside Europe, driving opportunities away from Belgium.

When you combine this with a general trend of increased pharmaceutical investment in other continents, it becomes clear that something must change to secure Belgium’s future as a competitive hub of innovation.

If we shift our perspective and view pharmaceutical development as a long-term investment in our health system, Belgium can make a tangible difference as a pioneer of medical innovation, at the forefront of an evolving European pharmaceutical landscape.

A new mindset: patience 

Opportunities for innovation in healthcare are growing, and as a result, people are living longer.

Humans have been on the earth for more than 200.000 years, but only in the last century has our life expectancy almost doubled, from 45 to 83 years on average. And there are statistics that attribute nearly 75% of this impact to the rise of modern medicine [3].

Scientists already predict that my children’s generation will live beyond the age of 100, which poses a new challenge. If the population is aging, how do we ensure quality of life remains high?

We must invest in healthcare for ourselves, our families, and our communities.

When I became Country President for Novartis BeLux a little more than two years ago, I pledged to expand access for new medicines and areas of research. We are on the verge of a radical shift in scientific innovation, whereby investing in prevention will enable the early detection of chronic conditions, maybe even before they become irreversible.

To mirror this, we need a change in perspective – which requires patience. We may not reap the benefits of long-term investments in healthcare immediately, but a healthier future for us all is only possible if we realize the necessity for medical innovation now.

We need to consider the regulatory environment surrounding investment into areas of innovation with a lasting positive impact on the health of our population. And to do this, we must work together to find the best solution for us all, in the long run. I’m impatient to see this new mindset of patience arise for the benefit of patients!

[1]De Croo wil betere Europese samenwerking rond geneesmiddelen, Accessed March 25 2024, https://www.medi-sfeer.be/nl/nieuws/de-croo-wil-betere-europese-samenwerking-rond-geneesmiddelen.html

[2] OECD (2023), EU Country Cancer Profile: Belgium 2023, EU Country Cancer Profiles, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9a976db3-en.

[3] How Medical Technology Advances Extend Life Expectancy, Accessed March 25 2023, https://interplex.com/trends/how-medical-technology-advances-extend-life-expectancy/