CEO Today Europe Awards

www.ceotodaymagazine.com 56 CEO Today Europe Awards 2018 switzerland What’s your proudest achievement as Vice Chairman and CEO of Helsinn Group? The business was founded by my father, in 1976. I am proud to have carried on the family business, and remained true to the family values of quality, integrity and respect, while developing a business that now operates in 190 countries. I am also proud that Helsinn has been able to contribute to an improvement in the quality of life of so many people living with cancer and to raise awareness of the importance of cancer supportive care. We are driven by our family values, proud that we have been able to work collaboratively with our stakeholders: the cancer community, partners, employees in a positive way. How important is it to you, and to the company’s culture, that Helsinn is a family business? Quality, integrity and respect are at the heart of everything we do. These values drive our commitment toworking collaboratively with all our stakeholders in a way which benefits the whole community. They help us stay in touch with the needs of people with cancer, their families, caregivers and clinicians, enabling us to listen to their needs and respond accordingly. They also help us work well with our partners and prioritise the needs of our employees contributing to a better working environment. What changes have you seen in the cancer drug development industry since Helsinn was founded? Since Helsinn was founded we’ve seen life-changing discoveries in science which have radically improved the prognosis for many people with cancer. Recent developments such as immuno-oncology have led to significant shifts in treatment approaches and improved survival prognosis. Cancer is still a major health burden but it is increasingly moving from being a death sentence to being a chronic disease. Cancer treatments are more sophisticated which brings hope to many more people but also new challenges. Managing the burden on patients of cancer is a major challenge – and we identified this as a critical need. Cancer supportive care – such as products for CINV – can provide critical support for people undergoing cancer treatment by helping maintain optimal health, and can help them lead a better quality of life. Increasingly there are benefits from a more holistic approach to cancer treatment, combining cancer therapeutics with cancer supportive care. This has driven our recent move into cancer therapeutics, as through our strategic agreement with MEI Pharma to develop pracinostat, for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia, now in a Phase III study. What excites you in the broader pharmaceutical industry? Immuno-oncology is driving significant changes for cancer treatment, as discussed. Personalised medicine is also helping drive more targeted approaches to treatment in a range of disease areas. The industry is also going through one of its most innovative periods – increasingly the early-stage innovation is coming from small start-up businesses based around people with exciting science and an entrepreneurial mindset but without access to capital. This is what has driven the creation of the Helsinn Investment Fund. Helsinn Investment Fund aims to help young businesses with scientific innovation convert these ideas into commercial businesses. How will change across the industry drive dynamics for your business? The radical changes in the cancer drug development industry are opening new alternatives and new challenges. Helsinn is moving into cancer therapeutics because we have identified a real patient need and also because we believe our unique understanding of cancer, cancer patients and the patient journey provides us with a particular insight. Q Q Q Q Q