Pharma Awards Europe 2024 Celebrates Innovation and Excellence in the Pharmaceutical Industry
The Pharma Awards Europe 2024 celebrated top professionals and organizations for their outstanding innovations and excellence in the pharmaceutical industry, showcasing their significant contributions to healthcare advancement and improved patient outcomes.
The Pharma Awards Europe 2024, held as a highlight of the Pharma Europe 2024 conference organized by Reuters Events Pharma, celebrated remarkable achievements in the pharmaceutical industry. The event honored leading innovators and dedicated professionals who have made significant strides in enhancing healthcare through exceptional performance, cutting-edge research, and unwavering commitment to improving patient outcomes.
ViiV Healthcare won the Most Valuable Digital Patient Engagement Award for their program focusing on empowering people living with HIV (PLHIV) across Europe. Their direct-to-patient initiatives, developed with extensive community involvement, significantly improved patient engagement and health-related quality of life. The Positive Perspectives Wave 2 (PP2) study and subsequent campaigns like HIVersity and You+ utilized a patient-preferred engagement model, incorporating feedback to refine and enhance their omnichannel approach. This iterative strategy has led to tangible impacts, such as increased patient advocacy, improved treatment discussions, and broader awareness across Europe. Jane Saunders, Transformation Lead for Europe at ViiV Healthcare, emphasized the importance of community partnership, stating, "We're all about partnering with a community in the HIV space. In everything that we do, we make sure that everything that we deliver is with them in mind. And they've helped us on that journey every step of the way."
Sciensus, a leading provider of clinical homecare, specialty pharmacy, and digital health services, sponsored the award. Richard Blythe, Chief Marketing Product Officer at Sciensus, underscored the importance of blending digital solutions with human touch to enhance patient care. He stated, "We believe that actually it's the best solution for the patient. It's not pure digital. We think there's some human element to that required as well." Blythe added, "Our focus at Sciensus is on understanding the digital preferences of our community to ensure that we engage with them in the best way possible. This award highlights the importance of patient engagement and the need to continually evolve our approaches to meet the changing needs of patients."
Boehringer Ingelheim emerged as a notable winner in the Patient Champion Award category, thanks to the groundbreaking work of Wiebke Sauter. Since 2016, Wiebke has pioneered patient collaboration in clinical trials at Boehringer Ingelheim, integrating patient insights into trial designs. Her innovative approach has notably improved the SENSCIS trial for patients with systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD). Wiebke's dedication extends to her current role as a strategic leader on the Bronchiectasis project, advocating for the inclusion of patients with Cystic Fibrosis and other rare diseases. Her relentless pursuit of patient-centricity has transformed Boehringer's approach to clinical trials and patient engagement, earning her this prestigious recognition.
In the category of Valuable Medical Education/Awareness Initiative, Boehringer Ingelheim was also honored for The Unwearable Collection™, an authentic and emotive campaign addressing the challenges faced by patients with Generalized Pustular Psoriasis (GPP). This initiative aimed to educate a wide range of audiences on GPP through a unique physical and digital campaign. By creating five statues that depict the real-life experiences of GPP patients, the campaign successfully raised awareness, increased social media engagement, and drove traffic to educational resources. The campaign has garnered international recognition and awards, highlighting its impact on improving the understanding and visibility of GPP.
AstraZeneca's Young Health Programme (YHP) was recognized with the Driving Health Equity Award for its efforts in addressing the health needs of young people in marginalized communities. Focusing on the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the YHP empowers young people through health literacy, youth-friendly services, and advocacy. The program has trained over half a million youth as Peer Educators and reached more than 15 million young people globally. Initiatives like Girls Belong Here and local partnerships have further extended its impact, demonstrating AstraZeneca's commitment to health equity.
AstraZeneca also received the Sustainability Award for their initiative to transition from paper leaflets to electronic product information (ePI). This initiative addresses significant sustainability issues by reducing resource use, waste, and emissions. The transition to ePI is expected to save an average of 500,000 trees and 1.6 billion liters of water annually. AstraZeneca's commitment to removing paper leaflets from all its medicines by 2030 exemplifies their dedication to sustainable healthcare. Successful pilot projects in various regions have already demonstrated the feasibility and benefits of this transition.
The Pharma Awards Europe 2024 highlighted the innovation and excellence propelling the pharmaceutical industry into the future. By emphasizing patient-centricity, collaboration, and sustainability, these awards recognized and celebrated the trailblazers who are redefining and advancing the landscape of healthcare.