Pharma August Insights: Europe’s Pharma Advances, New AI Ally Helps with Bowel Cancer Treatment, and More

Catch the August gust of insights from the pharma and life sciences industries. This edition of our newsletter brings you a nice selection of news, marketing advice, and webinar announcements, so everyone should get something to their taste. Happy reading!?

UK’s NHS Tackles the Lack of New Antibiotics?

The UK's NHS is trying something new to tackle a big problem: the lack of new antibiotics. They're offering pharma companies a subscription-style deal, paying them a fixed amount each year for new antibiotics, regardless of how much is used. The idea is to make it worthwhile for companies to develop new antibiotics without encouraging overuse.?

In the past, companies weren’t keen on making new antibiotics because they wouldn't sell much – we need to use them sparingly to avoid resistance. This matters because antibiotic resistance is becoming a serious threat. Without new drugs, we could be in real trouble in the coming decades.?

The UK is hoping this approach will kickstart antibiotic development and maybe inspire other countries to follow suit. It’s not perfect – some say the money on offer might not be enough to really tempt big pharma. But it's a start, and it shows the UK is taking the problem seriously.?

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Global Biopharma GSK Is Having Quite a Year?

GSK's been knocking it out of the park lately. They've had such a strong performance that they're upgrading their outlook for 2024.??

In Q2, they raked in ￡7.9 billion in sales, up 13% from last year. Their specialty medicines are really taking off, especially in HIV and oncology. Even their more general medicines are doing well, with one of their products, Trelegy, seeing a whopping 41% growth.?

Because things are going so well, they've bumped up their expectations for 2024. They're now looking at 7-9% turnover growth (up from 5-7%), and core operating profit growth of 11-13% (up from 9-11%).?

Their CEO, Emma Walmsley, is pretty chuffed about all this. She's highlighting how they're not just about treating diseases but preventing them too. And with all the R&D progress, she's feeling confident about GSK's future growth.?

Read the full report here:?

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How to Harmonize Global Content Strategies with Local Needs in Pharma

?Viseven’s CEO, Nataliya Andreychuk, gave a ton of advice and insights in her latest article on PharmaPhorum.?

She dives into the challenge many global pharmaceutical companies face: balancing their worldwide content marketing strategies with the unique needs of local markets. It's a common struggle, where local teams often feel their global counterparts are forcing a one-size-fits-all approach that doesn't quite hit the mark with local audiences.?

Find out what Nataliya recommends in the article:?

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Europe Plans to Boost its Competitiveness in the Life Sciences ?

Ursula von der Leyen, the President-elect of the European Commission, has laid out some pretty ambitious plans for the next five years.??

First off, they're putting a huge emphasis on innovation. They want to create an environment where researchers can really let their creativity run wild. We're talking about new public-private partnerships and labs where scientists can test out their innovative ideas.?

But here's where it gets really interesting – they're not just focusing on traditional research. They're diving headfirst into the digital revolution. Von der Leyen is pushing for a major overhaul in how Europe handles data. Right now, they're lagging behind other countries, especially when it comes to using tech for new services and business models. One of the big issues they're tackling is data access. Apparently, too many European companies are struggling to get the data they need, while big foreign tech companies are swooping in and using European data for their own benefit.?

To fix this, they're proposing all sorts of initiatives. There's talk of a European AI Research Council and even a new European Biotech Act coming in 2025. The goal is to make it easier to turn lab ideas into real-world products.?

The pharmaceutical industry seems cautiously optimistic, but they're emphasizing the need for supportive policies and legislation. It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out.?

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A New Ally in the Fight Against Bowel Cancer?

Researchers at the University of Leeds have just unveiled something that could bring a ray of hope to many bowel cancer patients. They've developed an AI test that could help doctors make better decisions about who needs chemotherapy after bowel cancer surgery.?

Bowel cancer is, unfortunately, very common. In 2020 alone, nearly 2 million people worldwide were diagnosed with it. In the UK, it's the fourth most common cancer. ?

The new test looks at something called CD3 cells in tumors. These are like the body's own cancer-fighting superheroes. The more of these cells in a tumor, the less likely the cancer is to come back after surgery. Using AI, the researchers can quickly count these cells and figure out how high the risk is of the cancer returning.?

What's most exciting is that this test could help doctors and patients have clearer conversations about what to do next. For some, it could mean avoiding unnecessary treatment and its side effects. For others, it could reinforce the need for chemo, giving them more confidence in their treatment plan.?

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From Storytelling to Storymaking: Crafting Narratives with Your Audience?

You've probably heard the term "storytelling" thrown around a lot. Well, there's a new kid on the block: storymaking. It's not just a fancy new buzzword, it's a whole new approach to connecting with your audience. While storytelling is about brands pushing out their message, storymaking is all about bringing your customers into the conversation.?

Nataliya Andreychuk’s article gives some great tips on how to make this happen. It starts with something simple but often overlooked: actually reading and responding to comments. Your customers are giving you free insights right there in your comment section.?

She also suggests going straight to the source and asking your customers what they want. Polls, surveys, direct questions – it's all fair game. And here's a pro tip: people love seeing the results of polls they've participated in. It's human nature to want to compare our opinions with others.?

Read the rest of Nataliya’s insightful suggestions in the article:?

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What the Numbers Say About Digital Economy?

The digital economy is reshaping our world as we speak. According to a recent Forrester report, we're looking at a $16.5 trillion behemoth by 2028. ?

U.S. and China are leading this digital charge, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the global digital economy. But don't count out the rest of the world just yet.?

The report breaks down the growth drivers into four main areas: digital businesses, digital skills, digital public services, and digital R&D. It's fascinating to see how different countries are approaching this. Take South Korea, for instance. They're expected to have 31% of their GDP driven by the digital economy by 2028. ?

The report also highlights three types of digital economies: those driven by eCommerce (think China and Australia), those focused on tech spending (like the U.S. and many European countries), and those relying on ICT exports (India's leading the pack here).?

It's worth noting that while some countries are spending big on tech, it doesn't always translate to competitiveness or innovation. Japan's a prime example – they're spending a lot, but they're not ranking as high as you might expect in digital competitiveness.?

View the full breakdown here:?

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Olympic Ad Showdown?

The article compared two Olympic ads that took very different approaches to capture the audience’s attention – Nike's “Winning Isn't for Everyone” and Coca-Cola's “It's Magic When the World Comes Together”. ?

Nike went for the jugular with their ad, showing athletes as these almost ruthless, win-at-all-costs machines. It's bold, sure, but according to the analysis, it didn't quite stick the landing. Viewers found it hard to connect with this ultra-competitive vibe.?

On the flip side, Coca-Cola took us on an emotional journey with a South African swimmer. We see her competing, but also hugging her rivals. It's like a domino effect of goodwill that spreads beyond the pool. This ad hit all the right notes – it was impactful, enjoyable, and created a strong emotional bond with the brand.?

Both ads played with the “spirit of competition”, but Coke's approach of showing the human side of athletes – their hopes, struggles, and camaraderie – resonated more with viewers.?

Pharma-Marketers “Must-Attends”?

Viseven has planned a big range of insightful webinars that promise to be invaluable for marketers in pharma and life sciences.

From learning how to be successful at congresses with an omnichannel approach to how to enhance your global content for local impact, our experts will open up about working solutions to your challenges. Register for an event that interests you!?

??? Thursday, September 5th at 5 PM CET?

Future-Proof Your Pharma Marketing with AI: Opportunities and Challenges?

Register here: https://lnkd.in/dys_kzBY ?

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??? Thursday, September 12th at 5 PM CET?

AI-Powered Localization: Enhancing Global Content for Local Impact?

Register here: https://lnkd.in/gbsMPtMR ?

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??? Thursday, October 3rd at 4 PM CET?

How to Achieve Omnichannel Webinar Excellence with Content Tagging?

Register here: https://lnkd.in/d7bBQMBw ?

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??? Tuesday, October 15th at 4 PM CET?

Extend Your Omnichannel Strategy with Integrated Congress Delivery?

Register here: https://lnkd.in/dW-WTbzb ?

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