Up close with Takeda’s Mark Degen

April 16, 2018

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There’s no better way to gain business insight than to pick an expert brain. With this in mind, 20Sense sat down with Mark Degen, Oncology Business Unit Head at Takeda Canada Inc., who shared his thoughts about marketing oral oncology treatments such as the company’s own NINLARO®.

 

For starters, tell us a bit about NINLARO®

In 2016, Health Canada approved NINLARO® as the first and only oral proteasome inhibitor indicated (in combination with other medications) for selected adults with multiple myeloma – a relapsing and incurable cancer that causes great pain and distress. NINLARO®’s once-weekly oral dosing can help patients and their caregivers save precious time, money and energy.

In terms of funding and delivery of care, is it “business as usual” with oral oncology medications?

Not quite. A number of national cancer organizations, including CanCertainty and the Canadian Cancer Society, are calling for changes in how the provinces fund and manage cancer drugs that can be taken at home. As I see it, patient support programs (PSPs) are an important part of this ecosystem as they complement the services provided in cancer treatment centres.

How do PSPs for oral oncology medications differ from PSPs for infused or injected oncology medications?

With oral medications, patients need to follow treatment instructions on their own, and PSPs can help them meet this challenge. For example, Takeda’s YOURVANTAGE PSP gives NINLARO® patients access to an oncology-experienced nurse, support with medication delivery, and – most important – support with adherence to treatment.

How are private insurers responding to the growing presence of oral oncology meds, and can PSPs help smooth out some of the bumps?

With the growth of oral cancer medications, more and more patients can continue working while getting treatment. While this is great news for employers, funding and access to medications can present challenges. A good PSP can help patients navigate their reimbursement options and get medication into their hands as quickly as possible.

What marketing and distribution strategies might best serve manufacturers of oral oncology medications?

In terms of distribution, the ideal is to both respect the patient’s choice of pharmacy and to enable distribution through the pharmacy at the cancer treatment centre, where patients can receive pharmacy counselling from a team that understands the “whole picture.” From a marketing perspective, data collection and analysis – with appropriate consent, of course – can generate real-world evidence and data to improve operations and service delivery.

Any tips for a marketer launching an oral oncology medication for the first time?

  1. Always keep the patient at the centre of your operations, including your PSP, with the aim of eliminating medication delivery delays.

  2. Ensure your PSP has the capacity to deliver optimal services such as medication inventory, which helps create a positive experience for all stakeholders and strengthen the brand.

  3. As far as possible, design your program so it complements (rather than duplicates) the patient experience at the cancer centre and aligns with key public-access milestones.

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