FOREIGN BRANDS, LOCAL FOOTPRINT

Vision 2030 seeks to transform the delivery of healthcare in the Kingdom. Pfizer and Sanofi are foreign companies aiding in this effort with world-class know-how and digital solutions.

What are the major trends affecting your company in Saudi Arabia?

2030 and the National Transformation Plan.

The Ministry of Health has been making a significant effort to expand access to healthcare over the last 10 years, and will continue to do so, evolving positively in terms of reach and quality, as witnessed by the number of hospitals and medical cities planned. At the same time, there is a rapid and consistent increase in investment from the government for quality medicine, which is why we need to significantly increase our investment in R&D. At the same time, a great deal of attention must be placed on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and prevention, which is an important aspect. Despite considerable improvements, there is still a long way to go, especially in terms of educating the public. Overall, Saudi Arabia’s fundamentals point to future growth, and the question is how pharmaceutical companies can provide additional value moving forward, since there is increasing attention to efficiency, safety, and savings when looking at healthcare.

AHMED SERAG

Similar to the digital transformation happening in the retail and banking industries, digital is now transforming the pharmaceutical industry entirely, especially in the way patients interact with their healthcare. At Pfizer, we have formed a digital agency to accelerate drug discovery for the unmet patient needs. We intend to enhance health outcomes and patient experience by using digital technologies. The greatest imperative for Pfizer—with a “Patients First” mindset—is to understand the end-to-end patient viewpoint, so that we can provide truly effective support and services tailored to individual patient’s values and needs. Subject to obtaining the right regulatory approvals, especially with patients undergoing therapy, we want to build healthcare support and engagement models that offer tools and programs to connect patients, doctors, and a whole range of healthcare stakeholders. We start any digital solution concept by considering patient experience. In Saudi, after fulfilling the regulatory requirements, we have started the digitalization program by offering more advice via smartphone.

AG

Challenges are not specific to Sanofi but to the healthcare sector in general. The Ministry of Health is moving toward more corporatization, which is spelled out clearly in Vision 2030. The market is increasingly moving away from traditional medicines and toward high-tech products that can offer better value. Legacy products at all companies still have tremendous value. However, knowing that profit margins on those are lower, it is more difficult to defend those products. Making a copy or a generic version is not that difficult anymore. Overall, it is a matter of how fast the industry can adapt to the changes. The direction is clear, and the commitment to staying on course is strong. Many opportunities for partnerships have opened. For example, there are companies working with government hospitals and the ministry on joint projects to enhance diagnosis, improve treatment, or better measure the success or failure of treatment. ✖

AS