Good for health, great for the economy: collaborations between pharmaceutical companies and the healthcare system in Israel
Good for health, great for the economy: collaborations between pharmaceutical companies and the healthcare system in Israel
More countries are discovering the economic and medical benefits that come with collaboration between pharmaceutical companies and healthcare systems. This collaborative model has already been successfully implemented by the Swiss company Novartis and the National Healthcare System (NHS) in England. The benefits include improved treatment of sclerotic cardiovascular diseases and higher economic efficiency on a national level. Is Israel next in line for a healthcare revolution?
Novartis and the NHS collaborate for impressive achievements
Global medicine trends have tended towards advocating for the adoption and establishment of strategic collaborations between international pharmaceutical companies and native healthcare systems. A proven example of this method can be found in the working relationship between Novartis and the NHS. Novartis, one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, has been working in close cooperation with the British public health insurance system since 1991, as part of a program for the treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD). The model includes the development and use of a clinical algorithm that can identify candidates from the national medical database who are at higher risk for a specific disease, such as stroke. After early identification, people at risk are contacted by doctors, who can then create an optimal treatment plan.
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Collaborations between pharma companies and healthcare systems around the world
(shutterstock-TippaPatt)
The collaboration between Novartis and the NHS has created positive results for the health sector and the national economy, says Agnes Estes, who serves as a board member, the manager of commercial partnerships in sclerotic cardiovascular diseases and manages models of commercial partnership and involvement in the health systems at Novartis.
"First and foremost, we have significantly improved the quality of life and are actively saving lives. We’ve also created tremendous savings in political medical budgets and cut the expenses of hospitals and medical organizations. This methodology allows the health system to provide treatments and medications in a smarter, more efficient, and more economically profitable way."
Along with England, there is a growing interest in other countries including Spain, Japan, Hungary, Slovakia, and now Israel, says Estes.
"Most countries already understand the acute need for cooperation between the health systems and the pharmaceutical companies. We do not see Novartis as just a company that manufactures and supplies medicines. Today, Novartis is a full and essential partner of the global health systems, and we work directly with the decision-makers at the political level and in large organizations to maximize the development and distribution of medicines and treatments for the entire population. Hospitals, health funds, regional health services, and health insurance companies can all benefit from this method and align their needs with the future of medicine.”
Data proves Israel is an ideal candidate to adopt these advanced health models
Science and medicine have advanced over recent years. Decades ago, the health systems followed simple models that matched the needs of the population. Companies used to produce medicines and vaccines according to medical needs and simply trusted the doctors to provide the medicine to those who needed it. However, the scientific, medical and technological developments of our time require an updated approach for how the healthcare system runs.
Farhad Rihai, manager of global innovative commercial partnerships at Novartis, explains:
"Today there are medical fields that did not exist before - for example, gene therapy, which deals with the introduction of genetic material into cells, biological treatments, and cell therapy, which via injection or transplantation of cells into the patient's body, works to fight diseases such as diabetes or cancerous tumors. Medical procedures like these involve complex tests and diagnosis, the use of advanced medical equipment, coordination between experts and doctors with different specialties and between different medical bodies, and access to medical information logged in the national healthcare databases. Another relevant example of how doctors use this integrated model is in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, which uses imaging tests such as CT, MRI, and PET.”
Farhad points out that while the human lifespan gets longer and the population continues to grow, we are also getting exposed to more diseases and health challenges - including epidemics as we have seen in recent years - all of which require advanced models for treatment and prevention. Healthcare systems must adapt to meet these challenges. By adopting models of cooperation with pharmaceutical companies, we can optimize and align the innovative and complex medical procedures and treatments necessary to protect humankind. He adds
"One of the great advantages of working in a collaborative model is improving the ability to predict which treatments and medications will be needed in the future, and based on these findings, to focus on developing preventive medicine. This method is better than reactionarily finding cures for diseases that have already broken out."
Regarding Israel's role in leading advanced medical models of cooperation, Farhad is optimistic
“All over the world, Israel is seen as a pioneer and leader in the medical field. Israel has a very advanced health system, with a wide scope and depth of computerized medical information. This encourages organizations and medical institutions to move to cloud infrastructures and enable sharing of the medical information, for treatment, research, and development needs.
Additionally, the level of professional medical specialization in Israel is very high compared to the rest of the world. Israel is also a leader in the development and use of advanced medical technology, as exemplified by the medical equipment and procedures available, and the digital transformation of healthcare which affords both doctors and the general population unique opportunities, like remote medicine. The combination of all these factors provides fertile and inviting ground for increased collaborations on the part of the health systems in Israel vis-a-vis pharmaceutical companies."
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Cooperation between pharma companies and healthcare systems around the world
(shutterstock -Natali Mis)
Mass screening and preventive medicine are a game-changer in the fight against cardiovascular diseases
Cardiovascular diseases are considered the number one cause of death in all Western countries and Israel. The key to the medical progress of these diseases is understanding the causes of the increase and outbreak, explains Prof. Ofer Amir, director of the cardiovascular department at Hadassah University Medical Center and President of the Israel Cardiology Association.
"Today we know that inflammation is one of the common causes of increased sclerosis and the accumulation of fatty deposits on the walls of arterial blood vessels. A combination of inflammation and sclerosis in patients poses a higher risk. When the inflammation accelerates the sclerosis, its effects, such as the rupture of the sclerotized plaque and transition of a mild artery blockage to an acute blockage, can lead to a cardiac or cerebrovascular event in the patient."
According to Prof. Amir, an increase in scleroderma can also be caused by sleep apnea, fatty liver disease, and other common pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and smoking. He emphasizes that high levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides in the blood can also indicate a risky situation where excess fats accumulate in the blood vessels causing sclerosis to develop among subgroups of patients.
Fortunately, the secondary and tertiary treatments of cardiovascular diseases have developed a lot in the last decade, but the goal is primary preventive medicine. For example, doctors are aiming to develop a classification system for identifying “bad” cholesterols, like LPa, and ensure routine measurements of these cholesterol levels in patients in Israel as they’re proven to be related to acute cardiovascular events.
“Nowadays it is clear that the higher the level of bad cholesterol over an extended period exposes patients to increased problems and dangers. However, the problem is that for early detection and treatment, special tests - which are not always regularly provided to the population through basic healthcare - are required.”
Amir claims:
“To this end, we must switch to a mass review model of the entire population, with an emphasis on identifying the risk groups. Through such a model, extensive and effective treatment can be provided to the relevant patients.”
The Israel Health Insurance Authority has a high level, reliable, and comprehensive data set. Data such as background diseases, laboratory results, family background, hereditary information and other related factors can help identify patients at risk. It’s best to start aggressive treatment at an early stage for these at-risk groups and cut off potential “years of exposure to cholesterol” thus preventing cardiovascular diseases. Pharma companies can support this by providing effective and safe products which can treat inflammatory components or problematic fatty lipids, significantly reducing the years of exposure to bad cholesterol among patients.
As for the economic benefits of preventive medicine, Prof. Amir shared that
“Treatment of a patient who has experienced a stroke or a vascular event is accompanied by heavy costs for the entire medical system, such as complex catheters, opening difficult blockages, treating blood vessels, accompanying and rehabilitating patients after a stroke, and more. Effective cooperation between the health system in Israel and pharmaceutical companies is the key to economic efficiency at all levels of the health system, would be a welcome change that brings broad benefits at the national level and, of course, in the private experience of each and every patient."
Full disclosure: The cardiology department at Hadassah and its staff, headed by Prof. Ofer Amir maintains working relationships with Novartis. This includes shared research, consulting and other collaborations funded by Novartis, like customary collaborations with other companies.
