Patient Support Program Triumphs
A service providing comprehensive assistance to cancer patients scoops prestigious patient award
A patient support program offering around the clock assistance to glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients undergoing an innovative therapy has been named the Most Valuable Patient Initiative award at eyeforpharma’s annual awards ceremony in Philadelphia.
Reflecting on the win, Novocure said: “We are humbled to have helped so many patients and to be recognised for it by our peers who have made careers out of trying to help patients in the most need. The eyeforpharma awards are helping pharma to focus on its core constituent — the patient.”
In naming the PSP as the winner of the 2018 Most Valuable Patient Initiative award, the panel of expert judges — comprising patients, patient advocates, healthcare professionals and senior pharma executives — hailed the project as “outstandingly innovative”, particularly in supporting patients through the access stage.
How did it come about?
The oncology company identified a clear need to provide additional support to patients using Optune, its FDA-approved, wearable technology.
The therapeutic device, which is designed to treat patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), generates low-intensity electric fields called tumour treating fields, or TTFields, that helps slow or stop glioblastoma cancer cells from dividing and may also cause some of them to die.
The patient is responsible for the continuous use of the device, which threw up unique lifestyle challenges that had to be addressed.
Novocure launched a program called nCompass to provide enhanced support to patients using Optune. They devised a proactive support model with live interactions and 24/7 availability.
From the clinical trial stage right through to commercializing the product, the company sought to develop, and evolve as needed, the tools available to patients and caregivers to help make using Optune as effortless as possible. During clinical trials, this started with our Device Support Specialists, who are assigned to each patient to train him or her in the home (or clinic), as well as to provide ongoing support and technical feedback.
There was an additional need for 24/7 phone support to address any technical issues that may arise day or night. Once the product was commercialized, the suite of offerings was further expanded to address patients’ needs for access and potentially reimbursement assistance.
94% of patients and caregivers rated nCompass support ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’.
One patient's family member said: “I want to thank you for your work in assisting us with the insurance company’s denial of my Dad’s prescription for the Optune device. You provided a consistent, calm and confident force in the GBM storm my family is navigating.”
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive form of brain cancer in adults. GBM spreads very quickly to different parts of the brain and is usually not surgically curable. It kills 95% of patients within five years of diagnosis, with more than half dying within the first 15 months after diagnosis. Although GBM can occur in any age group, it is most common in adults between 45-70.
The other finalists for the Most Valuable Patient Initiative award were:
Global Trial Community — Janssen Clinical Innovation
Janssen’s Global Trial Community initiative is part of the company’s moves to redesign the trial experience to improve patient satisfaction and provide useful information to patients after the trial.
HemMobile Striiv Wearable — Pfizer
The HemMobile Striiv Wearable is the first wearable made for patients with hemophilia, offering an easy-to-use, comprehensive tool to track activity. The wristband has several features, including tracking daily activity levels and monitoring heart rate to measure the intensity of the activity.
Psoriasis Symptoms and Signs Diary — Janssen Patient Reported OutcomesTeam
To understand patient perspectives in a meaningful way, Janssen’s Patient Reported Outcomes (PRO) team developed the Psoriasis Symptoms and Signs Diary (PSSD), a new tool to measure what matters to patients.
Seeing the Patient’s Perspective/In My Eyes — Regeneron and Intouch Solutions
In My Eyes is a fully immersive virtual and augmented reality experience designed to show what life is like for people with a retinal eye disease