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Boh Tiong was joined by 12 other people who received the Established Entrepreneur of the Year Award, each coming from a diverse range of industries located in Singapore. The award is co-organized by the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (ASME) and the Rotary Club of Singapore.

“The diversity of industries that our Winners come from not only reflects Singapore’s vibrant business landscape but also indicates that the entrepreneurial spirit is very much alive in Singapore. In today’s competitive business environment, cultivating different entrepreneurs is crucial as they bring in improved ideas, new innovations and perspectives that are essential to growth. We are extremely proud to have recognized these outstanding and diverse entrepreneurs this year,” said Mr. Thomas Fernandez, Award Co-Chairman of EYA 2014, from ASME.

We here at GLOBALHealthPR believe that not only is this title a testament to the talents of Yap Boh Tiong and Mileage Communications, but a testament to the strength of our partners and Network, as well.

Once again, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Boh Tiong and look forward to many more milestones for him and Mileage Communications.

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In its first edition, the GLOBALHealthPR Mid-Year Trends Report is an interactive country-by-country journey through some of the world’s largest healthcare markets to explore what trends are making headlines in 2014.

Based on what we’ve seen through the first half of the year, we predict the top overall drivers of global healthcare stories for the rest of 2014 will be:

1. Aging populations and their impact on health systems;

2. Patient access to innovative therapies during times of economic uncertainty; and

3. Industry response to watershed political and regulatory changes.

Read the full report here!

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Image: O’Dwyer’s

When it comes to international public relations, the right collaboration can change lives. That’s the word from GLOBALHealthPR Chair, John Seng, who was featured in this month’s global issue of O’Dwyer’s, the United States’ leading publication for PR and marketing communications professionals.

Seng’s article highlights the value of a healthcare-only network of independent communications agencies and how this model provides the reach and local insights to impact patients’ lives through innovative campaigns.

The article describes prime example of how collaboration can affect lives: GLOBALHealthPR’s collaboration with the Progeria Research Foundation (PRF) on its “Find the Other 150″ campaign. Want to find out more? Read the story on page 12 here.

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Argentina
The most important media coverage (both in traditional and social media) of healthcare issues was related to organ donations and transplants from the personal stories of children. In addition, mass initiatives, such as those that promoted the importance of bone marrow donation, were widely covered.

India
The increase in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) cases in India was a major health story in 2013. In addition, pricing was a major issue – namely the DPCO (Drug Prices Control Order) — kicked in by July 2013 and the market growth crashed soon after.

Policy-wise, not allowing 100% FDI (capping at 49%) for brownfield projects was tops. This amounted to a “blanket ban” on investment for existing pharma companies.

Japan
Taking advantage of Shinya Yamanaka‘s achievement of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2012, the government to sign off on the world’s first clinical trials to use induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells harvested from the bodies of human patients.

Mexico
The top story of 2013 was obesity, as Mexico is the number one country in the world with this health problem. In all aspects it was the main topic, from the government launching many prevention programs and “work out” campaigns up to a tax regulation issue where all sugar-sweetened beverages will be taxed.

Portugal
Because of the international economical assistance (Troika), the main healthcare stories where related with cuts in the NHS and changes in co-participation. Patient associations from all areas are having difficulties with access and hospitals with lesser budgets to buy the prime necessities for the patients.

Spain
Because of the current Spanish economic crisis, healthcare situation has changed. Throughout 2013, the government has approved many policies regarding the public health sector in order to improve safety and costs. The most important were: major cuts in social and health services, as well as the privatization of part of the public health sector.

United Kingdom
In the UK during 2013 the NHS topped the news agenda more so than any other healthcare topic in the UK. From the biggest restructure in its history, providing access to innovative treatments, service quality investigations, huge budget reductions and pioneering surgery – we have seen it all. We wait in anticipation to see what 2014 has in store for the world’s largest publicly funded health service…

United States
In the U.S., the top healthcare, science stories focused on the dramatic advances in cancer treatment, particularly blood cancers (outside of the Affordable Care Act news). Within the past year, there have been a number of breakthrough trials to demonstrate the potential and future of oncologic science. For example, the approval of ibrutinib, an FDA Breakthrough Therapy-designated treatment for mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), was based on phase 2 studies only four months after the new drug application submission was filed, and not to mention based on dramatic patient response data. In addition, a recent study from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) showed complete remissions for 19 out of 22 children with relapsed, treatment-resistant forms of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who got the new form of gene therapy. These are examples of truly breakthrough science and news that deserve the attention to further successful patient treatment.

The post The Top Health Stories of 2013 appeared first on GLOBALHealthPR.

Meet Ontlametse, left, from South Africa; Alicia, center, a PRF Ambassador; and Rafaely, right, from Brazil.

The Find the Other 150 Campaign is a joint Progeria Research Foundation and GLOBALHealthPR collaboration to locate the remaining 150 of the estimated 200-250 children living globally with Progeria.

Beginning in July and through the next several months, approximately 40 children from around the world will travel to Boston, Mass., in the United States to participate in the Triple Drug Trial, the latest clinical trial to test potential treatments for Progeria. To mark this expansion, The Progeria Research Foundation (PRF) is re-launching its highly successful “Find the Other 150” campaign to locate the remaining unidentified children living around the world with Progeria.

Progeria, also known as Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) is a rare, fatal genetic condition characterized by the appearance of accelerated aging in children. Symptoms of Progeria include growth failure, loss of body fat and hair, aged-looking skin, stiffness of joints, hip dislocation, and cardiovascular (heart) disease, among others.

“At the launch of the campaign, we said that finding even one child would make the campaign a success, but we’ve significantly exceeded our expectations and identified nearly 50 additional children in a few short years,” said Audrey Gordon, President and Executive Director, PRF. “Our success is a testament to the power of global collaboration. We now know that through our continued global efforts, we can find even more children with Progeria to provide them with unique and essential medical services and care, and significantly further medical research to develop treatments and a cure.”

When the “Find the Other 150” campaign originally launched in 2009, only 54 children in 30 countries living with Progeria had been identified. In less than four years, the campaign has helped to:

• Find 50 more children from an additional seven countries on five continents
• Increase by 93 percent the number of known children with Progeria in 2013 compared to 2009

As promised, the children found now have the chance to enter potentially life-saving clinical drug trials made possible through PRF’s financial and research efforts.

“We need to continue to find as many children as we can,” said Leslie B. Gordon, Medical Director of The Progeria Research Foundation. “We now know the gene that causes Progeria and just last September announced the results of our first clinical trial and its success in slowing the progression of Progeria. With the expansion of the Triple Drug Trial and the tools we have to treat it, it’s time to find the others worldwide living with Progeria,” said Dr. Gordon.

How you can help:

Media, physicians and families around the globe can follow updates from PRF through Facebook and Twitter, and encourage others to use these pages to find out more information about providing additional assistance.

Children with Progeria have a remarkably similar appearance; images can be found at http://www.progeriaresearch.org/gallery. If someone you know or treat has Progeria-like characteristics, please contact The Progeria Research Foundation at [email protected]  and visit www.progeriaresearch.org for resources that will help to provide him or her the best treatment possible.

About The Progeria Research Foundation

The Progeria Research Foundation (PRF) was established in 1999 to find the cause, treatment and cure for Progeria – a rapid aging disease that causes children to die from heart disease or stroke at an average age of 13 years.  Research conducted in partnership with PRF has identified the gene that causes Progeria, a treatment and other possible treatment candidates for which clinical drug trials are in progress or being planned.  To learn more about Progeria and what you can do to help, please visit www.progeriaresearch.org.

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VIVA! launches digital division

Health and wellness communications agency, VIVA! Communications, has launched VIVA! Digital. “To emphasise VIVA’s understanding of the digital space and to highlight VIVA’s creative capabilities, we have established a digital services arm called VIVA! Digital,” said VIVA’s Director, Kirsten Bruce. “Marketers can no longer afford not to be part of the online conversation as the healthcare sector is steadily moving in to the digital space.

“Companies need to cater for an increasingly mobile audience and this translates in to new communication resources such as mobile enabled websites, microsites, and easily accessible and shareable digital resources such as infographics, video clips and 3D animations, Bruce said.

VIVA! Digital will not take place of the traditional media relations provided by the VIVA! team, but will instead complement integrated communication strategies while influencing health and wellness across digital platforms.“An integrated campaign is designed to maximise outreach and extend on campaign massaging and longevity. Being relevant in the digital area demands understanding of the digital media space as well as industry knowledge on the code of conduct,” said Bruce.

VIVA! wins new accounts, added to pharma panel

VIVA! Communications have won the account of pharmaceutical company, bioCSL, successfully winning Copaxone, after bioCSL acquired the treatment from Sanofi. This represents another win  at bioCSL  with continued work on 3 other portfolios. VIVA! have also won additional work with bowel cancer test manufacturer, Enterix Australia, a long term client.

VIVA! Communications recently delivered two PR campaigns for UCB Pharmaceuticals in the disorder movement field, raising awareness of epilepsy in March for Purple Day 2013, and launching a novel treatment for Parkinson’s in June 2013. In addition, VIVA! Communications have been offered a prime position on the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) PR panel starting June 2013.

Viva! to publish Global Guide to Pharma Marketing Codes in Australia

The latest version of a global tool that provides up‐to‐date information on pharmaceutical marketing, public relations and advertising codes across 16 countries, is now available via the VIVA! Communication’s GLOBALHealthPR network. Now in its third edition, The Global Guide to Pharma Marketing Codes, provides guidance for responsible health care public relations at local and global levels. GLOBALHealthPR partners world‐wide, including VIVA! Communications, contributed to the guide to add local perspective to commonly asked questions in pharma marketing and PR. For more information on how to obtain this publication in Australia, please contact Viva! for details.

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Now in its third edition, the 169-page reference, The Global Guide to Pharma Marketing Codes, provides information on specific codes and regulations surrounding the promotion of medicines in 16 countries.

GLOBALHealthPR partners on five continents contributed to the composition of this tool, each offering information from a local perspective. The publication provides an overview of basic healthcare promotional regulations and answers the most frequently asked questions about what is and isn’t permitted with respect to the media and third-party involvement. The Guide helps communicators maximize responsible health care public relations opportunities, nation-by-nation.

“Governments around the globe have increased their oversight and regulation of the health industry, particularly when it comes to pharmaceutical marketing,” said John Seng, President of Washington, DC-headquartered Spectrum and Chair of GLOBALHealthPR, the publisher of The Guide. “If your job requires you to understand and succeed in the marketing of pharmaceutical products on a regional or international basis, then you’ll find this publication indispensable,” Seng said.

To obtain a copy of The Global Guide to Pharma Marketing Codes, visit www.globalhealthpr.com.

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Q: In Portugal there is a lot of pressure of the government to cut the budget of health and medicines. What response should take brands and companies to this situation?

Companies should fight the misperception that pharmaceutical products are the chief health care “budget busters.” They should fight this fight with data. Pharmaceutical products have always ranked among the most cost-effective health care solutions. Decision-makers should honestly compare the cost of surgery or disability or lost productivity due to the poor treatment of disease, with the cost of prevention or optimal treatment. They will find that medications are, in general, much more cost-effective. Governments should not become penny-wise but pound-foolish. We’re about to learn the hard way in the US as we contend with the obesity crisis, and the resulting diabetes, heart disease and disability.

Q: Citizens have the idea that the health industry and medicine is a powerful lobby. Do you think this idea is correct? How can big companies do in order to change this idea?

In the U.S., politicians enjoy blaming lobbyists for the “special interests.” On close examination, however, who are these special interests? Pharma companies make up only part of the mix of organizations with great interest in promoting continued emphasis and favorable attitude of elected officials toward investment in health care. These other interests include disease and patient advocacy organizations, including rare diseases and the need for increased funding in medical research.

However, the real issue lurking behind global, public criticism of health industry is the relationship between providing and, what’s more, improving human health care with the fact that the drivers of health care innovation and delivery are for the most part, businesses. Is it ethical for a business to profit from creating and providing an innovation to prevent, cure or treat disease? Many people do not understand that a host of scientists and medical researchers and investors work hard and take risks every day toward improving lives, easing pain, promoting quality of life, and reducing mortality. We need the best minds, not lowest-cost minds to conquer Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and pancreatic cancer, for example. These risk takers require incentives. It’s economic gain, as unsavory as it sounds, remains the international currency of motivation.

Q: Legislation on health communication is very different around the world. What limitations are reasonable?

People deserve protections from unfounded or unproven health claims that are associated with products or procedures. There is little debate on that. By the same token, patients deserve to know about life-saving treatments as well as the best quality care possible. The question comes down to value, access to medication and education.

In the U.S., direct-to-consumer promotion of prescription products is still allowed, and I’m not aware of any serious legislation proposed to ban it. In most other countries, however, DTC is banned because it might create demand for products that the country’s health system cannot afford. What is the best way to gauge the value of health care? Is the best way to manage health care costs a ban on delivering information that communicates the best treatment for patients?

Q: In the network Global Health PR, which is the market that produces the best work in this area? Why?

At GHPR all of the affiliated countries do a great job promoting the best communication healthcare practices. We can develop international PR campaigns using the local expertise of countries from all continents. The best part is that all can contribute with different knowledge from digital healthcare to crises management. For example teaming up with Guess What from Portugal gave us the opportunity to best understand the culture and health care communications regulations of the pharmaceutical industry in this country. No longer can you export a global health public relations campaign to another country and expect that it will be effective or even lawful. Each of the GLOBALHealthPR partners is indigenous, in that they provide genuine, expert insights that cannot be synthesized by overseas networks who make assumptions or merely speak the same language.

Q: Marketing budgets in Europe are being cut. It’s happening the same in healthcare? Which are the dangers of these decisions?

When companies, health care or not, cut public relations budgets, whether they stem from corporate or marketing departments, they effectively are saying that organized, strategic communications and relationships with their audiences are not important. Relationships aren’t worth spending on. If they cut marketing communications or public relations, it’s the same as siphoning fuel from the tank of your automobile. How far do you want to drive?

I like the expression “nature abhors a vacuum.” The space left open by uncommunicative health care organizations will be taken up by other organizations competing for your business that recognize the importance and opportunities offered by managed public relations.

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One of the goals we strive for at my Washington, D.C.-based health communications firm, Spectrum, is flawless performance for clients. We invest the time to ensure that we completely understand our clients’ needs in the U.S. marketplace, and design creative, strategic plans grounded in science and research. We then move forward with every expectation of “smooth sailing.”

However, what worked last year in New Mexico, USA will probably fail in Mexico next year. Marketers must cast aside assumptions and avoid underestimating the challenges of effectively communicating in other countries.

Successful global pharma marketing communications compels health communications professionals and agencies to listen and understand first, and then think and act differently within each country to ensure success. In-depth knowledge of individual countries’ legal, cultural and regulatory environments is required – and then you need to figure out well in advance how to make it all come together effectively and efficiently.

National public relations and marketing communications managers often resist or outright reject implementing global strategies. Of course each country manager rightly believes he or she knows best what will work in their market. However, global continuity in strategy and messaging must count as the primary metric or deliverable.

Reconciling the inherent conflicts in universal goals otherwise pitted against local practice begins with mutual respect, engagement and listening. Ultimately, you will succeed by carefully tailoring your programs well in advance to individual countries’ needs and requirements while retaining the overall strategic vision and commitment to common goals related to your organization, products or issues.

Global pharma marketers face a primary challenge in simply understanding the basic, cultural differences between countries and how they impact communications programs. For example, how does each country communicate most effectively with media? While the days of mailing paper press releases are long gone in the U.S., other countries utilize technology and social media to far different extents. Do journalists access email easily? Do they communicate through Twitter or Facebook? Will they read blogs or watch You Tube videos? Sophistication varies widely, and technology evolves.

In addition, how you attract journalists to media events varies widely. In some countries, you “invite” journalists to an event as guests – and reimburse all their expenses. In other countries, that practice would offend the media; and elsewhere, it’s forbidden. And don’t assume that simple translation equates to cultural understanding or interpretation: For example, in Mexico, simply writing “For Immediate Release” at the top of your press release – a common practice in the US to denote free and clear use of a news announcement – instead insults journalists in Mexico who instead perceive that you demand instant action, reports Paola de la Barreda Becerril, Directora General of PR Partners in Mexico City.

At the same time, health care communicators must maintain an in-depth understanding of the legal and regulatory climate in each country and how that affects communications, says Neil Crump, Managing Director of Aurora, a healthcare communications firm in London. In pharmaceutical marketing in particular, pricing issues and the necessity of proving product benefits can greatly impact programs country to country. In Europe, generally, there is a push by governments to promote and ensure improved value. The pressure to reduce costs diminishes corporate marketing and communications budgets, although management expectations remain elevated. More is expected for less and in more compressed time periods than ever.

In Germany specifically, drug pricing is based on both the value of the product and its yearly market performance compared to other similar products already on the market. Of course pricing and reimbursement rates are vitally important to our clients not only in Germany but almost across the board. It is not simply enough to disseminate information on your product’s positive clinical trial results and good safety profile. Evidenced-based communications programs must be developed that continually showcase a product’s specific benefits versus its competitors in that specific market.

What is the best path to provide this information to varied target audiences? Is it primarily through media, and if so what kind – medical, scientific, business, consumer if allowed? Or perhaps the best path is informing and educating health and advocacy organizations, or reaching out directly to medical professionals. The answer varies based on the individual country and needs to be grounded in the realities of the marketplace.

A model that has worked effectively for us at Spectrum is to work through an established international network of health-focused communications firms, each providing strong local expertise and cultural understanding. Each partner understands what works and doesn’t in their marketplace, and communicates seamlessly for clients under one umbrella program. We rely on one another to provide the specific in-country strategic know-how, on-target research and marketplace details, that when bundled together, appropriately delivers for clients.

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