Driving Innovation in Healthcare
By Alexandra Loli, PhD | Business Partners, Jul-Aug 2024

Innovation should be seen as a strategic investment and a key growth driver. At GSK Greece,we believe it is essential not only to perceive it as such but also to leverage it to strengthen the healthcare system by making it more resilient and responsive to the population’s current and future healthcare needs. In this context, Greece is a country of strategic importance to GSK as the entire local organization is dedicated to accelerating the transition toward a more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive healthcare environment for the benefit of patients.

Innovation should be seen as a strategic investment and a key growth driver

Despite the challenges the local healthcare system faced in the previous years, at GSK Greece, we remain committed to our growth strategy, which is based on research and innovation, and continue to further invest in the country through our, under development, portfolio of vaccines and medicines and by adding value to both the Greek patients and economy. As far as the latter is concerned, we are particularly proud that we managed, just within the last three years, since 2021, to establish Greece as a reference country in conducting clinical trials. As of January 2024, we have an independent and rapidly growing clinical studies department, staffed by approximately 20 employees, thus ensuring that the majority, if not all, of GSK’s global clinical trials may be conducted in Greece.

Finally, at GSK Greece, being driven by innovation, we strongly believe that prevention, through vaccination, as one of the most effective public health interventions, is a low cost, high return investment, which should have a dominant place on the health policy agenda, with the ultimate objective of developing a strong national action plan for life-course vaccination, especially for adults and older adults, given the rapidly increasing ageing of the population and the pressure that these two demographics exert on the healthcare system.

In Star Wars Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, faced with a challenging task, Luke Skywalker proffers “All right, I’ll give it a try”, only for Jedi Master Yoda to reply “No. Try not. Do… or do not. There is no try.” Going head-in and realizing there is no way around, only through, innovation, is what drives breakthroughs in pharmaceutical science.

Case in point: the COVID-19 pandemic. When it took the world by storm and no answer was readily available (or even remotely visible), Gilead was determined. Having led virology for almost 30 years, we knew we were ready, not only to try but to do. After more than a decade of multiple rounds of experimentation, failure, and iteration, we were in the position to understand the potential of remdesivir, one of the now globally approved and recommended treatments for COVID-19, to treat the virus, and rapidly pull it from our emerging viruses solutions’ armory and progress its development. In doing so, we helped health systems manage the impact of the pandemic and save millions of lives.

So how did we do it? In the proper Jedi training way—by unlearning what we have learned, letting go of a lot of things that came to us naturally, and learning new ways, new perspectives, and new understandings of things. And by not being afraid to rush head-in (i) to offer our available stock to clinical trials, (ii) to invest heavily in ensuring responsible access, post regulatory approval, and (iii) to rapidly accelerate manufacturing from 12 to 6 months and expand our global production network to include more than 40 companies in North America, Europe, and Asia. All this, whilst maintaining transparency with stakeholders, to ensure optimal, fair response to a flooding need.

This is how innovation strikes back, and breakthroughs happen. And we are masters at pursuing them. Because what is the difference between a master and a beginner? According to Yoda, “The master has failed more times than the beginner has ever tried.”

Every patient in need should have access to the most effective therapies at the right time. At AstraZeneca, this is our firm belief, and to achieve this, we are re-introducing innovation, viewing it as a strategic investment with far-reaching returns for patients’ health as well as for the community, and the economy.

We are driven by our relentless commitment to innovation, one that extends far beyond pharmaceutical R&D. Our dedication to improving patients’ health includes a focused effort to shape a sustainable and resilient future for healthcare systems. Central to our vision is the power of collaboration. We actively create and further strengthen partnerships with academic institutions and a diverse array of stakeholders, recognizing that such alliances drive healthcare advancements and aid in delivering sustainable health and pharma policies. The Partnership for Health System Sustainability and Resilience (PHSSR) is a clear illustration of this. Already running in more than 30 countries worldwide, it aims to fortify healthcare systems against crises and promote resilience.

Actively contributing to shaping policy in the healthcare sector is one of our top priorities. We focus on identifying practical solutions, pilot projects, and policy proposals that highlight our commitment to robust funding for life sciences innovation. We believe this is not only a strategic investment but also a crucial factor in addressing the genuine needs of patient access to medicines.

At AstraZeneca, our dedication to innovation, collaborations, and promoting robust healthcare policies, underscores our commitment to shaping a sustainable and resilient healthcare future, ensuring that every patient has access to life-changing therapies when needed. Together, we are shaping a healthier future for all.

Deeply rooted in our distinguished history as a leading R&D-driven biopharmaceutical company in Japan, Takeda is focused on creating better health for people and a brighter future for the world. We are grounded in the values that have defined us for more than two centuries: We value integrity; we find strength in collaboration; and we nurture a culture of respect and inclusivity. We are guided by our commitment to patients, our people, and the planet, and we strive to move science forward so we can transform more lives.

Takeda is headquartered in Tokyo with a presence in 80 countries and regions, a network of manufacturing sites around the world, and major research centers in Japan and the United States. In Europe, we have more than 15,500 people working across 37 countries, dedicated to helping patients with limited or no treatment options in our core therapeutic and business areas of gastroenterology and inflammation, rare diseases, plasma derived therapies, oncology, neuroscience, and vaccines. Takeda continues to leverage science and partnerships to develop new therapies that address unmet patient needs. In addition, our ambition is to develop and scale personalized, predictive digital health and patient solutions with a value-based partnership approach. What makes Takeda different is our approach to making business decisions, which is founded on patient-trust-reputation-business. In every decision, our patients come first. It is this framework that allows us to translate our purpose and values into action every day to ensure patient populations, with unmet needs get access to the treatment.

Culture and innovation are deeply intertwined, serving as dual pillars that propel the success and evolution of organizations. Every individual at Merck plays an integral role with their diverse expertise and ability to make a meaningful difference. As Steve Jobs aptly put it, “Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.” This sentiment underscores the collaborative nature of achievement and the synergy between individuals in driving progress.

The significance of innovation extends beyond curative medicine, encompassing therapies that enhance quality of life and focus on prevention. At Merck, our commitment revolves around envisioning a world where future generations can proactively manage or lead healthy lives while benefiting from continual advancements in healthcare technology. This vision is supported by several key initiatives:

• Prioritizing patient-centered design thinking to develop healthcare solutions and services that directly cater to the needs and experiences of patients and their families;

• Continuous learning and training by providing ongoing training and educational opportunities to healthcare professionals to nurture a culture of continuous learning and skill development;

• Harnessing big data and analytics to gain valuable insights into patient outcomes and resource utilization, thereby enabling evidence-based decisionmaking and targeted enhancements; and

• Agile decisionmaking to facilitate rapid testing and implementation of new healthcare initiatives and technologies, facilitating prompt adjustments based on feedback and outcomes.

By integrating these strategies, healthcare organizations can cultivate an environment that fosters creativity, problemsolving, and continuous improvement, ultimately leading to enhanced patient outcomes and advancements in the healthcare industry.

Innovation in healthcare is crucial for the advancement of medicine and the improvement of patients’ quality of life. Bausch + Lomb, a multinational pharmaceutical company, operating in over 100 countries, with a broad portfolio of innovative products, is committed to this field, addressing the challenges in the development and approval of new drugs to provide top notch services.

A significant obstacle is balancing rapid and innovative development with strict regulations and safety standards. Our company focuses on R&D, investing in advanced technologies and adhering to international regulatory requirements. Our success depends on our ability to combine innovation with the safety and effectiveness of our products.

Recently, Bausch + Lomb has achieved significant breakthroughs in the field of ophthalmological solutions, developing new contact lenses with improved comfort and visual performance and new eye care products that will significantly enhance patients’ vision. We collaborate with esteemed healthcare professionals and academic institutions, ensuring that our new products meet clinical needs and comply with regulatory standards for immediate application.

Cultivating a culture of innovation is critical to the company’s success. We promote creative thinking, encourage interdisciplinary collaboration, and invest in the continuous education of our employees. This way, we remain at the forefront of developments, offering the best possible solutions to patients.

Bausch + Lomb Greece, with successful development strategies and job retention, is distinguished in Best Workplaces™ Hellas and Best Workplaces™ for Women 2024 and is the first pharmaceutical company in Europe with ISO 37001 certification against bribery.

Aiming to build a global immunology powerhouse and become the leading company in the field, at Sanofi we are harnessing and leveraging our legacy of scientific expertise in inflammatory diseases and innovation in vaccines. To achieve this goal, across the world, we are driving a reinvigorated approach to R&D led by a commitment to immunoscience. Immunoscience is an R&D approach that is redefining R&D as we know it and can help us change not only how we understand the role of the immune system but also how we can use it to treat and prevent more diseases than ever before. This includes everything from chronic inflammatory conditions such as respiratory diseases or inflammatory bowel disease to neuroinflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis as well as conditions such as diabetes, rare diseases, and cancers.

With immunoscience, our team here in Greece, across Europe, and around the world is already accelerating advances in immunology and other therapeutic areas. This acceleration, which results in speeding breakthroughs for our patients, is also supported by the use of artificial intelligence technologies in the development of our medicines, including target discovery engines, drug design modelling, and digital patient populations to accelerate research. AI, through the lens of immunoscience, is also helping us understand the biological pathways that drive heterogeneity in disease and extend the benefits of precision medicine to more patients.

Healthcare innovation can transform lives and ensure that all patients have access to the care they need. Our mission at Roche is based on that belief and rooted in the conviction that innovative treatments where high unmet need remains can truly improve patient outcomes and by doing so improve the socioeconomic health of a country. However, achieving this vision is fraught with challenges. The assessment and reimbursement of new treatments in Greece are hindered by obstacles such as the “5/11 rule” and outdated reimbursement procedures that undervalue innovation. Additionally, the lack of digital infrastructure to collect and utilize health data, coupled with limited resources, makes it difficult to exercise evidence based decisionmaking.

Despite these hurdles, we are committed to addressing unmet medical needs through innovative solutions. Our partnerships with the healthcare ecosystem drive R&D, pioneer new healthcare frontiers, and continually seek ways to improve patient outcomes while adding value to health systems and society. One initiative demonstrating the power of public-private partnerships is Oikothen, which helped decrease the burden in hospitals and broke new ground in healthcare provision by enabling oncology patients to receive treatments at home, thereby enhancing their quality of life. Going forward, it is vital that the state also invests in adequately funding pharmaceutical innovation, in order to create a predictable, fair, and sustainable environment that enables the quick entry of innovative treatments to the country.

At Roche, we are dedicated to contributing to initiatives and to engaging in dialogue with all healthcare stakeholders. Our goal is to ensure that innovation and collaboration shape the future of healthcare, unlocking meaningful improvements in patient care and medical science. I am thrilled to be at the helm of our business in Greece and to contribute to its success, as well as to the effort to transform the healthcare system and improve the quality of life for patients.

A lot of discussion is going on lately about how modern healthcare systems should foster innovation to ensure high quality care and transform the lives of patients. By embracing new technologies and especially the advancements in medical technology, we have a great opportunity to revolutionize the way we diagnose, treat, manage diseases and support better health outcomes. Artificial intelligence and digital have the power to drive innovation in healthcare across the entire value chain and help us discover and deliver new breakthroughs to patients faster.

Innovation is about more than just discovering, developing, manufacturing, and distributing the highest quality innovative vaccines and therapies. It also includes collaboration across the healthcare ecosystem. Policymakers, healthcare providers, and industry leaders should all work together to address the barriers and the challenges that delay the embracement of new technology and to prioritize and invest in innovation in order to create a healthcare system that ensures equity for all patients receiving the best possible treatment on time.

Healthcare is evolving rapidly and we all need to adapt to the constantly changing patient needs. Innovation can be the driving force to create a healthier future for all patients in Greece as long as all stakeholders are committed to a holistic approach that will accelerate innovation, build a longterm, collaborative ecosystem, and create a sustainable and resilient healthcare system.

Health is everything. It is the foundation of vibrant lives, thriving communities, and forward progress. With this belief in mind, at Johnson & Johnson our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and where solutions are personal. We invest billions in R&D to improve human health through sustainable, inclusive, and innovative solutions.

The last few years highlighted many structural challenges facing healthcare systems, created by years of underfunding and systemic inefficiencies, such as delayed diagnosis and access to treatments. In the quest for groundbreaking healthcare advancements, important partnerships and collaborations within the innovation ecosystem have emerged, so that we can meet the needs of the patients we serve by improving patient outcomes while contributing to the delivery of high quality care.

At Johnson & Johnson, we never settle. It is our responsibility to work together with all institutions and stakeholders to improve access to pharmaceutical innovation and increase public investment in disease prevention that leads to timely access to treatments. By joining forces and partnering to navigate increasingly complex healthcare systems, we deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow and enable patient access to transformational medical innovation now and in the future. Patients will always inform and inspire our science-based innovations, which continue to change and save lives. We never lose sight of the people we serve, and the possibilities science provides. We innovate with purpose in order to lead where medicine is going and profoundly impact health for humanity.