Available on-demand: The Price is Right? - Delivering UK access for niche patient populations

With challenges to highly priced rare disease medicines and the Cancer Drug Fund evolving again – what is next, what are the ramifications for high priced/innovative treatments delivering beneficial outcomes to defined patient populations in the UK? How can pharma navigate these seemingly choppy waters of access for rare disease treatments and orphan drugs?

Working in partnership with IMS Health, pharmaphorum assembled an expert panel including NHS England's Malcolm Qualie, Alan Kane of Shire Pharmaceuticals, Angela McFarlane of IMS Health, Nick Medhurst of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and pharmaphorum's own Paul Tunnah to present and debate around these issues in a free to view one hour webinar.

This event covers:

· Access, in the UK, to higher priced drugs/innovative treatments
· Rare Disease/Orphan Drug access in the UK
· The evolution of the Cancer Drugs Fund - what does this look like, what could it mean for pharma/healthcare

The webinar originally took place on December 8th 2014.

To view please click here or on the webinar widget below.

Participant line-up

Alan Kane, Head of Market Access & External Affairs, Shire Pharmaceuticals (UK & Ireland)

Alan has broad experience having worked as a practising pharmacist, CPPE clinical tutor and Pharmaceutical Adviser in the NHS, prior to joining the Pharmaceutical Industry in 2000.  Alan has worked in leadership roles encompassing all aspects of market access, external affairs and communications for over 10 years, and has extensive experience in the UK & Ireland, as well as leading the EU & Canada market access function for a top 5 pharma company.

Angela McFarlane, Senior Principal, IMS Health Local Market Access

Prior to its acquisition by IMS Health in October 2013, Angela McFarlane was the founding Director of HGS Europe, a company at the forefront of the UK Market Access environment for over 15 years. The acquisition of HGS by IMS Health enabled the companies to build on their reputation for payer-centric Market Access solutions informed by a unique and extensive network of over 1000 NHS Associates, enabling the programmes delivered to be truly valued by payer audiences. The synergy between IMS Health Real World Evidence, data and market access solutions are benefitting both existing and new clients, particularly in the growing rare disease and speciality medicine markets. Angela’s career has also included being Marketing Director for specialist Provider hospital, Surgicare, and nine years at Merck Sharp and Dohme and Bristol Myers Squibb, where she held a number of sales and marketing management positions. During that period she launched for two ACEIs and a statin.

Nick Medhurst, Policy Manager, Cystic Fibrosis Trust

Nick is a health policy professional working in the third sector. Currently working at the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, no policy challenge is of greater importance to the future prospects of people with cystic fibrosis than ensuring sustainable long term investment in drug discovery for rare diseases. Nick’s role at the Trust is to bring together all stakeholders in cystic fibrosis faced by this issue in the UK to discuss and debate the topic, and design practical solutions.

Malcolm Qualie, Pharmacy Lead for Specialised Services, NHS England

Malcolm took up the role of Pharmacy Lead for Specialised Services within NHS England in April 2013. He has worked at Royal Liverpool, St James Leeds and Leicester Royal Infirmary now part of University Hospitals of Leicester.  His current post is Pharmacy Lead of Specialised Services within NHS England having held the post of Head of Health Policy and Pharmaceutical Advisor to the East Midland Specialised Commissioning Group for the previous two years.
In addition, Malcolm is a member of the National Pharmaceutical Supply Group, the national HIV HRG reference group, an advisor to the National IVIG Guidelines Group and a member of the NICE Commissioner reference panel for NICE Guidelines, NICE costing toolkits and the Patient Access Scheme Advisory Group.

Dr Paul Tunnah, CEO, pharmaphorum

Paul Tunnah is CEO & Founder of pharmaphorum media, which facilitates productive engagement for pharma, bringing healthcare together to drive medical innovation. It combines industry-leading content and social media engagement services with the globally recognised news, information and insight portal pharmaphorum.com, working with pharmaceutical companies, service providers and broader healthcare organisations to help communicate their thought leadership and connect them with relevant stakeholders.