M's the word: Does pharma need more heroes?

Instead of avoiding PR disasters, it's about time we started talking about the fantastic achievements of the industry.

By Malcolm Allison on Aug 9, 2010

Instead of avoiding PR disasters, it's about time we started talking about the fantastic achievements of the industry.

We had a debate about heroes the other day. Well, about songs with heroes in the title.

Alex, who is probably 20 years younger than me, suggested David Bowies Heroes. Oh, the optimism of youth.

I suggested the Stranglers, No More Heroes Anymore.

I tried to download it onto my phone; all I got was a bill for 20 Swiss Francs and an invitation to upload cartoon pictures of women wearing the German national costume holding footballs.

Never mind. No more heroes.

I sat on the plane next to a compatriot ex-pat living in Basel, who works for Roche.

We got to talking about the industry we know and love.

He is strongly associated with Tamiflu.

You have probably read some of the vilification about Roche, for alternately failing to give up the patent so it could be mass-produced in India and conning governments out of huge sums by scaremongering.

He had an awkward time, while naturally self-effacing Roche worried about how to respond to an invitation from Channel 4.

Their problem: For all the best and most honest reasons, they gave an undertaking to patients in their clinical trials that they would not allow their data to be used without specific permission.

So the eight trials were not available for assessment by independent auditors, so the drug failed the vox pop test.

Roche took the brave decision, and my compatriot ex-pat was subjected to 90 minutes of interrogation. The result was a balanced position.

But it was so nearly another PR disaster in the industry.

Isnt it about time we had someone brave enough to stand up and talk about the fantastic achievements of the industry?

It was a fantastic achievement getting Tamiflu to the market. Lives have been saved.

Perhaps Alex is right, and we should start to tell ourselves we can be heroes, just for one day.