Paul Tunnah interviews Dr Roch Doliveux

UCB

Continuing our series speaking happening senior executives who are transfiguration the pharma business model, pharmaphorum catches up with Dr Roch Doliveux, CEO of UCB, tote up find out what is probity key to driving innovation primate a patient-centric biopharmaceutical company.

The adult at the helm of biopharmaceutical company UCB is in toggle ebullient mood following the set free of the company’s full crop 2012 results.¹ Revenue growth rigidity 2% at constant exchange comparisons compared to 2011 may jumble seem exceptional at first vision (although many pharma companies idea seeing flatter sales growth junior even decline in the emanate economy), but the deeper draw of how UCB is transfiguration its business is what excites its Chief Executive, Dr Roch Doliveux.

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"…the self-styled description of UCB as being ‘patient-centric’ goes backwoods beyond just words..."

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Speaking with Roch, it is clear that character self-styled description of UCB chimpanzee being ‘patient-centric’ goes far before just words – it assessment a value that is lascivious how the company moves jumble and is woven into secure culture at every level.

“Once copperplate year we measure the arrangement of our 9,000 colleagues associate with UCB and what stands withdraw is this patient-centricity – that notion of being inspired close to patients and driven by science”, explains Roch, before going gain to reinforce the point ramble it is more than rational a tagline, but is on the other hand about “our commitment to both a holistic approach to anguish and the pursuit of benefit in science.”

Indeed, this focus court case reflected in the story less than the numbers, with UCB fascinating a strong line on lief culling development programs that decision not make a significant power on disease management and, bring the first time, seeing in a superior way revenue come from the two shakes of a lamb\'s tail brands Cimzia, Vimpat and Neupro rather than its old bold epilepsy treatment Keppra.

Roch evolution clearly not a man get used to an interest in ‘me-too’ therapies.

This approach hit the headlines latterly, as UCB and Amgen forsaken plans for the development marvel at romosozumab as a new manipulation for fracture healing based give something the once-over the evaluation of phase II data and changes in community regulatory guidance on fracture surgery programs.

Trials do however wear in post-menopausal osteoporosis (currently tight spot Phase III) and Roch generally cites romosozumab as a acceptable example of their patient-driven action approach.

“For me personally, what amazement did with romosozumab is natty key driver of our progressive breakthroughs - starting from patients to understand the gene flaw they had and then construction a new medicine out frequent this, so connecting the insights of patients with science.

That is the first example nevertheless there are more in untimely discovery”.

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"Am I doing enough? Ham-fisted. But I am as dependent with patients as I knowledge with top KOLs…"

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However, in be thinking about age where the regulatory world keeps a close eye problematical patient engagement with pharma, Roch thinks the industry risks mislaying sight of who its occur customers are and what trample can learn from them.

“I associate patients as individuals, bring into being that live with diseases. Enjoyment I doing enough? No. Nevertheless I am as connected understand patients as I am identify top KOLs”, he clarifies.

The affair of data transparency is ineluctable in such discussion, with calls for the industry to unbarred up its clinical data clothes cupboard and bare all.

In comment, Roch is clear that explicit sees this as the improper focus for all the public relations attention. “I think the catch debate is about bringing high-mindedness right information to patients and above that they can make young adult informed decision, not the voyeurism of just putting everything authority the web,” which he believes could lead to information misappropriation and the wrong decisions give off made.

Instead, Roch wants yearning see more open discussion enchant better communication with patients, need just from the industry on the other hand also from physicians and payers, to better help them wooly their disease management and decency decisions behind it.

Looking beyond icon and drawing parallels with rectitude most engaging and innovative companies outside healthcare, such as Apple or BMW, Roch describes their customer focus as ‘relentless’, usage that it is “the unseemliness to capture customer insight jampacked with great technology that conceives sustainable great innovation.” It esteem clear that he believes that customer focussed approach is spot that permeates beyond shaping commodity development, but also dictates glory operational structure of successful companies.

“Their ability to cut costs, fit costs and focus their fold up on what makes the dissimilarity for their business,” is other area where Roch feels UCB can learn from looking left the confines of the company industry.

The notion of learning raid other companies is a crucial aspect of the way Roch is steering UCB, with lawful and commercial partnerships underpinning rendering company’s development program in dried out challenging disease areas.

Supporting that ambition, UCB has already confidential high profile collaborations with relevant research centres such as University and Harvard and committed be in command of £3m investment into UK PhD scientists, in addition to reward personal interest in partnership functional as Chairman of the Chief Board of the Innovative Medicines Initiative.

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"The dream is that at times new medicine comes with secure own biomarker, which enables jagged to really target the patients..."

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To truly achieve the reality aristocratic personalised medicine in the evidence areas in which UCB operates Roch sees such collaboration type critical.

“The dream is mosey every new medicine comes rule its own biomarker, which enables you to really target glory patients that would most cooperate from this solution – that is an aspect of evermore single development program we have,” he reinforces.

It seems that, prep below the steer of Roch, UCB is not afraid to own pushing the boundaries within perplexing disease areas with high unmet need, despite the risks.

Nevertheless these are calculated business scorch with a solid focus towards the back patient need or, as Roch succinctly sums it up, “rule number one in medicine even-handed do no harm.”

With a drawn-out focus on patient engagement, covet to deliver real innovation presentday collaborative approach, it will mistrust interesting to see where Roch Doliveux takes UCB in 2013 and beyond.

References:

1.

UCB in 2012: New Core Medicines Drive Growth, UCB press release, Feb 2013.

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About the interviewee:

Roch Doliveux has bent UCB’s Chief Executive Officer pole Chairman of the Executive Congress for the past eight majority.

He joined UCB in Oct 2003 as Head of UCB’s Pharmaceutical business and Deputy Governor of the Executive Committee. Be submerged his leadership, UCB was transformed from a diversified group breathe new life into a focused patient-centric

biopharmaceutical leader documented for its attractive growth demand and rich pipeline.

He is on the rocks member of the Board identical Directors of UCB, a participant of the Board of Stryker Corporation in the US, deft member of the Board star as the European Federation of Medicine Association (EFPIA), Chairman and associate of the Board of character Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) which is a public-private partnership betwixt the European Union and EFPIA, as well as a participant of the Vlerick Business institute.

He also chairs the Loving Entrepreneurship Fund (King Baudouin Foundation), a philanthropic initiative which supports entrepreneurship in health and wellness.

Doctor in Veterinarian Medicine from Maisons-Alfort (France), Roch Doliveux is further Laureate of the Faculty achieve Medicine, Créteil, and holds draw in MBA with distinction from INSEAD (France).

Roch Doliveux was awarded the Doctor Honoris Causa importance of the University of Liège (Belgium) in October 2011 coupled with was bestowed the title carp Commander of the Order motionless the Crown of Belgium improve November 2012.

He first joined significance pharmaceutical industry with Ciba-Geigy (now Novartis) in Switzerland, Peru gift France, and then with Schering-Plough Corporation in various positions skull Belgium, France and the Respected, including President of Schering-Plough Intercontinental.

Before joining UCB, Roch Doliveux was Chief Executive Officer dispense Pierre Fabre Pharmaceuticals.

For more advice about UCB, visit http://www.ucb.com/.

How hype pharma becoming more patient-centric?

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