SARDINIA, Italy, May 14, 2015
/PRNewswire/ -- Scientific advancements, more readily
available medical information and emerging technologies are driving
greater patient engagement, improving diagnosis and treatment, and
enabling people with life-threatening diseases to live longer and
healthier lives, said CSL Limited CEO and Managing Director
Paul Perreault. CSL is the parent
company of CSL Behring.
"It's all about diagnosing sooner, improving our ability to get
the right treatment to the right patient at the right time, or even
finding a cure," Perreault told global healthcare leaders at the
2015 International Plasma Product Biotechnology meeting this week.
"Industry plays a critical role in this evolution. The way to
succeed in the new environment is to innovate and adapt. In the
end, we are about improving the well-being of patients."
As CEO of a leading global specialty biotherapeutics company,
Perreault noted patients and doctors are more informed and engaged
today than ever before. The vast amount of medical information
available and new advances in technologies have empowered patients
and helped doctors to better diagnose and treat those with
life-threatening conditions. Advanced diagnostics and genomics are
two of the technologies that are making a difference, Perreault
said.
Advanced diagnostic technologies
"Technologies such as
hand-held devices, advanced diagnostic tests and the Internet are
revolutionizing the practice of medicine and the diagnosis of rare
diseases, which often went undiagnosed for years," said Perreault.
"This is important for physicians who now have information at their
fingertips that can mean the difference between successfully
diagnosing and treating a patient with a rare medical disorder or
not being able to make a diagnosis, which can be frustrating and
disheartening for both patient and doctor."
Genomics and personalized medicine
Genomic or
precision medicine enables physicians to tailor treatment to the
patient, or to better understand how a patient may respond to a
particular therapy in advance. While this is well-established with
certain cancers, it is less so in the rare disease space.
Gene therapy trials for patients with rare diseases are in
progress to correct the gene mutations causing rare or serious
conditions. Additionally, while personalized medicine is still in
its infancy, advances such as the approval of new flexible dosing
regimens for products used to treat immune deficiencies has
improved administration convenience and the quality of life for
many patients, Perreault said.
Inadequate market access
Perreault said inadequate
market access affects many patient groups, but is especially
critical for those with rare diseases. "We spend a great deal of
time and resources understanding payer needs, the evolution of
health technology assessments (HTA) and what these mean for
patients, and support constructive engagement with payers," he
said. "It's important that payers do not just look at cost alone.
The value of therapies needs to be considered, too. Standard
HTA assessments should be modified to reflect the special nature of
rare diseases, the impact of these therapies on such serious
conditions, the societal benefit and the small patient population
size involved."
New healthcare delivery and business models
As a
result of cost pressures and trying to improve efficiency and
quality of care, Perreault said, "We are seeing an evolution of
healthcare delivery and business models such as outpatient, home
care and new dosage forms, which lead to improved quality of life,
change in facility use, and broader and different make-up of
healthcare teams." Today, more patients are being treated in
outpatient settings, through home care, or Accountable Care
Organizations, and often with a broader and different make-up of
healthcare teams.
Cost of medicines
Although medicine spending is often
portrayed as driving up healthcare costs, medicines are not a
main driver of increased healthcare costs in the United States, Perreault noted. In fact,
medicines account for a small and declining share of health
spending growth. Every dollar spent on healthcare is broken down as
follows, according to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers
of America:
- $.07 – government administration
and net cost of private health insurance
- $.08 – home health and nursing
home care
- $.09 – prescription drugs
- $.21 – physician and clinical
services
- $.23 – other
- $.32 – hospital care
Stakeholder Partnerships
In such a complex and
evolving global healthcare environment, the engagement of
stakeholders as partners in solutions is paramount, Perreault
said. For instance, rare disease patient groups are
increasing their global presence and capabilities in information
sharing, community building and advocacy. Physicians work in tandem
with those groups and governments are increasingly engaging them
for input, including helping design health programs and policies.
Industry has a role in supporting patient care, information
sharing, stakeholder capabilities and engagement with all
stakeholders. Working together provides the best opportunity for
successful evolution.
"Our healthcare systems worldwide have evolved tremendously over
the past decade, and they will continue to do so at exponential
rates," said Perreault. "Change is constant, but our future will
remain bright if we embrace the opportunities that result in better
patient care, and if we work together to shape the healthcare
environment to increase access and improve outcomes."
About CSL Behring
CSL Behring is a leader in the
plasma protein therapeutics industry. Committed to saving lives and
improving the quality of life for people with rare and serious
diseases, the company manufactures and markets a range of
plasma-derived and recombinant therapies worldwide.
CSL Behring therapies are used around the world to treat
coagulation disorders including hemophilia and von Willebrand
disease, primary immune deficiencies, hereditary angioedema and
inherited respiratory disease, and neurological disorders in
certain markets. The company's products are also used in cardiac
surgery, organ transplantation, burn treatment and to prevent
hemolytic disease of the newborn.
CSL Behring operates one of the world's largest plasma
collection networks, CSL Plasma. CSL Behring is a global
biopharmaceutical company and a member of the CSL Group of
companies. The parent company, CSL Limited (ASX: CSL), is
headquartered in Melbourne,
Australia. For more information, visit
http://www.cslbehring.com/.
Media Contact:
Chris Florentz, CSL
Behring
610-878-4316
Christopher.Florentz@cslbehring.com
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SOURCE CSL Behring