eyeforpharma Awards - Europe 2017

Mar 14, 2017 - Mar 16, 2017, Barcelona

Because your patients want you to win

Online Doctor Videos a Hit for AbbVie

AbbVie's Doctor's YouTube Channel scoops top prize at eyeforpharma Awards

Left to right: Fiona Olivier, Doron Obazanek and Tammy Altarac, AbbVie



A YouTube channel offering patients high-quality health education videos, created by AbbVie in partnership with the Israeli Patients’ Rights Association (IPRA), has been named Most Valuable Pharma Collaboration at the European arm of the eyeforpharma Awards 2017.

Doctor’s Channel offers patients reliable, objective, user-friendly and free information on a wide variety of medical conditions in videos recorded by senior physicians. In the videos, physicians explain the symptoms, disease progression and treatment methods, and offer links to further information. Each video has 11 layers of external approval to ensure accuracy.

“A great initiative that meets the needs of patients with strong collaboration across HCPs, pharma, patients, GPs and other stakeholders,” commented one member of the expert judging panel. “It has the potential to continue to grow and expand globally.”

The channel took four years to get off the ground, but has since become the first social media project to be formally approved by the Ministry of Health in Israel. Hundreds of thousands of visitors from across the world have watched the videos, not only saving valuable time during HCP consultations but increasing patient visits to NGO websites, calls to hotlines and participation in support groups.

“To get more than 130 physicians to work for free for the benefit of patients – and bringing them unique knowledge in a friendly way – is thinking ‘beyond the pill’ and giving real value,” said Doron Obazanek, Public Affairs Manager at AbbVie, who collected the award with Fiona Olivier, Director of Public Affairs, Western Europe & Canada. “As an industry we need more initiatives and collaborations like this to get back trust and support.”

He added that the success of the Doctor’s Channel was unprecedented in such a conservative industry as pharma, where its actions are scrutinised and its integrity often questioned.

Finalists in this category included:

Design Innovative Solutions for Patients (AbbVie) – using findings from patient journeys, interviews with HCP and patients, market research and more, the team collaborated with partners to develop innovative, tailored solutions to address the unmet needs of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and Parkinson’s disease.

PsoHappy (LEO Inn ovation Lab with The Happiness Research Institute) – the first happiness index for people living with psoriasis, PsoHappy seeks to unite all relevant stakeholders and people living with psoriasis in one strong voice around the concept of happiness.

Europe Patient Innovation Summit (Novartis) – bringing together 130+ patient advocacy groups from 22 European countries to discuss how technology is revolutionizing life.

Aparito (Dr Elin Haf Davies) – the ability to monitor patients with progressive diseases remotely.

Patient-Focused Medicines Development (PFMD) Initiative (The Synergist) – an independent, multinational coalition funded by member organisations aimed at better and meaningful patient engagement.


The Most Valuable Pharma Collaboration award is one of six categories of the eyeforpharma Awards 2017 Europe. All the winners and more information on the awards website.



eyeforpharma Awards - Europe 2017

Mar 14, 2017 - Mar 16, 2017, Barcelona

Because your patients want you to win