Roche: Fast listing was all about improving patient access

[Interview] President Nic Horridge at Roche Korea

“Proud of expanding reimbursement on Tecentriq, the company to continue the endeavor”

“South Korean NHI system is transparent and systematic, but listing takes longer time”

President Nic Horridge

An anticancer treatment specializing pharmaceutical company, Roche has been viewed to stand relatively “aloof” from seeking the health insurance reimbursement.

 

But now Roche seems to be picking up its speed.

 

Their last two years have been different; the company successfully expanded the reimbursement on targeted therapy Alecensa in anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) lung cancer as a first-line therapy, immunotherapy Tecentriq in lung cancer as a second-line therapy after listing in urothelial carcinoma, and targeted therapy Perjeta in early stage of breast cancer.

 

Also the multinational company is under review for expanding the reimbursement on Tecentriq as a first immunotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), and antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) Kadcyla in breast cancer as a maintenance therapy, as well as for receiving reimbursement on a new flu drug Xofluza.

 

President Nic Horridge at Roche Korea is in the center of such dynamic change.

 

Appointed as a president of Roche Korea in October 2018, Horridge once said “We prioritize in the patients’ access to treatment more than anything else.” Daily Pharm interviewed President Nic Horridge about his perspective on the changed Roche and the prospects.

 

-Soon, it would be two years since you took the position.

 

And Roche’s products are receiving the reimbursements fast, which is a positive change in the company.

 

It is gratifying for the public to notice the accelerated speed in the reimbursement listing process.

 

Many may think of drug approval, when talking of pharmaceutical accessibility.

 

But the healthcare reimbursement is crucial to secure the practical access to the treatments.

 

We are proud of Roche’s close engagement with the South Korean government.

 

The fact that the company’s products are meeting the government’s level of pharmaceutical value to win the reimbursements fast means significant to the company.

 

Regarding the topic, I would like to express my gratitude to our staffs at Roche.

 

Personally, this is one of the proudest parts of my career in South Korea—improving the Korean patients’ access to new drug.

 

Specifically, Kadcyla and Perjeta are attempting various tactics to achieve complete recovery.

 

In the lung cancer treatment area, Tecentriq and Alecensa contributing to the patients’ treatment benefit is also an outstanding performance.

 

-What was your impression on the National Health Insurance (NHI) benefit system, and what do you think is the changes it needs?

 

To be honest, my first impression of the South Korean reimbursement scene was that ‘it is not that easy.’ But a government trying to take the most value out of pharmaceutical purchasing cost is common in every country, so it does not necessarily make the Korean government too special or difficult.

 

The upside of Korea is that the general review and decision making process are thorough, which makes it clear for the pharmaceutical companies to see what should be done and proven to list the drugs in the market.

 

The system seems to clarify which evidence should be provided to reflect the needs of the healthcare providers and patients and to prove the value of the drug.

 

And it even suggests which role should a company play as the government’s partner.

 

Regardless, the time taken for the reimbursement listing in South Korea is relatively longer than other countries with similar regulatory environment.

 

-Roche has been fruitful in the breast cancer therapeutic area, and its presence in the market seems to be outstanding.

 

But with new immunotherapy line-ups, the company seems to have expanded to other cancer areas.

 

Is there any challenge in the sales and marketing?

 

This is the part we have been deeply contemplating about.

 

And this applies not only to anticancer treatment fields, but also in other fields as well.

 

To tackle the issue, we need to first study the issue the consumers have and then try to provide fitting solution.

 

To do so properly, we need to push up our work efficiency, and take an agile stance on resource utilization.

 

-Avastin, with its patent term coming to expire soon, is actually having its second golden age.

 

While it is considered as the best combination drug for both targeted therapy and immunotherapy, we assume the health authority’s pressure to bring down the pricing would get greater.

 

For any drug, patent term expiration is inevitable.

 

This is the reason why Roche cannot cease to pursue innovation and annually invest USD 12 billion, or 20 percent of the entire sales from the group, to develop new drugs.

 

The healthcare providers and patients would continue to look for Avastin, and the company would also continue to provide support for the market in an environment we can adequately provide such support.

 

As Avastin has been recently studied to create remarkable synergy effect in combination with an immunotherapy, we plan to provide support regardless of the types of the cancer.

 

But the weight of the innovation would be on Tecentriq than on Avastin.

 

-Many news reporters were surprised to find out Tecentriq winning the NHI reimbursement.

 

The South Korean government proposed pharmaceutical companies to cover the initial administration cost, and Roche was the only company with an immunotherapy option to accept the deal.

 

Was there any regret in the decision?

 

We are exhilarated to expand the patients’ access to Tecentriq with the company’s decision.

 

Even if we turn back the time, we would make the exact same decision.

 

It was a positive experience considering how we shared constructive talks with the government.

 

-Roche’s reputation as a market leader in the anticancer treatment scene has been lately challenged as other companies are leading the immunotherapy competition and other anticancer businesses.

 

What is your plan to maintain that title?

 

Roche has the richest pipeline among the healthcare industry.

 

There are 20 candidate medicines in late development phase, scheduled to be released in about five years.

 

In South Korea, the company would continuously expand Tecentriq’s reimbursement in treating lung cancer and liver cancer, and pursue reimbursement on Kadcyla in treating early stage of breast cancer.

 

Meanwhile, a neurotrophic tropomyosin receptor kinase (NTRK) gene targeted therapy Rozlytrek was recently approved.

 

With the drug targeting a specific biomarker regardless of the types of cancer, the company is determined to continuously improve patients’ access to treatment.