Consumer-led Products are the Best Products

It has been said that necessity is the mother of invention, and that is certainly true in healthcare. From aspirin to the x-ray, scientists have been inspired to fill unmet needs and improve existing solutions. In the case of Aspirin, for example, it was discovered by Bayer scientist Dr. Felix Hoffman. His father had been plagued by the pain of rheumatism for years and he wanted to help him. His current treatment caused nausea and tasted terrible, so Dr. Hoffman set out to create something new for him to take that was more tolerable and offered a better usage experience while still working effectively.

He never could have imagined that today its use expands beyond pain, to be a key treatment in helping to prevent cardiovascular events. In fact, estimates state that aspirin continues to be the focus of more than 700 clinical trials each year[1].

My team follows this approach as well. We strive to look at problems from the consumer’s standpoint – how can we make her life better? How will he use this product?  What challenges does the current product present, and how can we make it better? What would I want to experience if I had this symptom or wanted to treat this concern? This mindset moves our scientists out of the lab and into the consumers’ shoes.

We add true value when we approach our work from this perspective, as it both grounds and directs our scientific and technical acumen. The history of Aspirin demonstrates that this approach has been part of our culture from early on in our company’s history. True, not every discovery will be as groundbreaking as Aspirin, but I am confident that we will make meaningful improvements for consumers around the world.

[1] https://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/news-and-analysis/infographics/a-history-of-aspirin/20066661.article