Barcelona 2015

Mar 24, 2015 - Mar 26, 2015, CCIB, Barcelona

Your Customer is in Charge.

“Pharma collaboration with IDF makes good business sense”

382 million people in the world have diabetes today. Yet half of these people have not been diagnosed and, alarmingly, many of those diagnosed do not receive medical treatment. Pharma has a key role to play through collaboration to make inroads in the early detection of diabetes.



According to Sir Michael Hirst, President of the International Diabetes Federation, who was interviewed by eyeforpharma ahead of his presentation at Barcelona 2015, pharma plays a “pivotal role in stemming the progression of diabetes through its collaborative work with agencies such as the IDF”.

“With one in two people going undiagnosed, this is an area where pharma could make a huge impact, increasing the amount of people going for testing. This represents a huge untapped market for the pharmaceutical industry and building awareness through educational initiatives and HCP training is vital to making inroads in the early detection and treatment of diabetes”.

Currently, of those who are diagnosed with diabetes, only half receive treatment from a qualified healthcare professional and again just half of these people achieve their treatment targets. Unfortunately the Rule of Halves1 does not end there: only half of this already relatively small group actually achieve the desired outcome and live a life free from diabetes-related complications.

The Rule of Halves estimates a global average. In sub-Saharan Africa, however, where resources are often lacking and governments may not prioritize screening for diabetes, the proportion of people with diabetes who are undiagnosed is as high as 90% in some countries according to the IDF Diabetes Atlas (2013). For some, treatment may be almost non-existent, while in other countries a key issue is that even those people who are diagnosed and treated do not reach their treatment targets and therefore have a high risk of developing complications.

Enhancing reputation and building sustainable connections

Hirst warns that this cannot be a cynical marketing exercise and that in some instances there will be no immediate payback: “If we look at the stellar work of Novo Nordisk who work closely with the IDF in their support of the 50 poorest countries in the world through the provision of insulin at cost, I doubt very much that any of these countries will become a significant market for Novo in the near future, but that does not stop them from doing this and that is to their credit”.

Pharma does not operate in a vacuum; neither does it have a guaranteed outlet for its products. It goes beyond corporate social responsibility because it makes good business sense".

The payback for pharma comes in terms of the enhancement of their reputation and the building of goodwill and connections over time: “Sensible, progressive, dynamic companies will see the opportunities in working in concert with organizations such as the IDF on projects and initiatives that will be hugely beneficial to patients and this commitment in the long-term will allow companies to enjoy a good relationship with health policy makers. Pharma does not operate in a vacuum; neither does it have a guaranteed outlet for its products. It goes beyond corporate social responsibility because it makes good business sense”, contends Hirst.

Unlocking the Potential of Partnerships

I believe family doctors should be incentivized to be more proactive in early intervention, so that patients fully understand the risks and can make a genuinely informed decision as to whether they want to delay or prevent altogether the onset of diabetes. I see a role for pharma here in improving this interaction through educational programs for doctors in developing countries

One of the key principles the IDF will be working towards is better engagement between healthcare practitioners and people with diabetes. This is another area where pharma can prove enormously impactful.

“Study after study has revealed that patients come away from their doctor’s consultation not fully understanding the risks of diabetes. I believe family doctors should be incentivized to be more proactive in early intervention, so that patients fully understand the risks and can make a genuinely informed decision as to whether they want to delay or prevent altogether the onset of diabetes. I see a role for pharma here in improving this interaction through educational programs for doctors in developing countries”, according to Hirst.

Redefining the Doctor’s Consultation

The global Time 2 Do More in Diabetes™ survey has revealed major disconnects in communication, disease awareness and expectations between patients and physicians. Research carried out by Novartis with the University of Exeter Medical School revealed that three quarters of people with Type 2 diabetes are not concerned about developing complications. Only 40 per cent say they increase their level of exercise after diagnosis, despite receiving regular counselling on the importance of lifestyle changes. On top of that, doctors admitted that they only expect around half of people with Type 2 Diabetes to reach their blood sugar goals. The survey investigated the perceptions and behaviors of 337 physicians and 652 people with Type II Diabetes in the UK, US, Spain, India, Japan and Brazil.

“Our goals at IDF are to drive change at all levels, from local to global, to prevent diabetes and increase access to essential medicines, to develop and encourage best practice in diabetes policy, management and education. This can only be achieved through partnership and pharma can play a critical role in making the difference to patients globally”, concludes Hirst.


Sir Michael Hirst will be a keynote speaker at Barcelona 2015. For more information, click here.

Sources: 1. Hart J.T., Rule of Halves: implications of increasing diagnosis and reducing dropout for future workload and prescribing costs in primary care,

Br J Gen Pract 1992, March; 42(356):116–119, and W.C.S. Smith, A.J. Lee, I.K. Coombie, H. Tunstall-Pedoe, Control of blood pressure in Scotland: The rule of halves, BMJ, 300 (1990): 981–983.



Barcelona 2015

Mar 24, 2015 - Mar 26, 2015, CCIB, Barcelona

Your Customer is in Charge.