Bán thuốc tốt làm gì khi bệnh nhân còn không mua được? - Charaf Kadri, Country Head, Sandoz Vietnam

Key Concepts:

• Healthcare accessibility in Vietnam
• Generics and Biosimilars
• Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
• PharmacoEconomics
• Triangle of Access (Supply, Price, Quality)
• Pioneering Access for Patients

1. Introduction and Background

• The podcast episode features Charaf Kadri (Char), the country head of Sandoz Vietnam, a Swiss pharmaceutical company.
• Sandoz Vietnam's vision is "Pioneering access for patients," focusing on making essential medicines available, affordable, and sustainable.
• Char shares his background, starting as a medical representative and progressing to country head of Sandoz North Africa before moving to Vietnam.
• He emphasizes the sense of purpose in the pharmaceutical industry, impacting people's lives and adding value to the community.
• Leadership across different geographies requires agility, data-driven decision-making, and "grounded globalism" – a wide lens with local sensitivity.

2. Sandoz's Legacy and Innovation in Vietnam

• Sandoz has a 140-year legacy built on access, quality, and trust.
• In Vietnam, this legacy is amplified by the country's energy, evolving healthcare system, and respect for education and health.
• People in Vietnam place trust in medicines, making it crucial for a generic company like Sandoz.
• Innovation for Sandoz means improving access to essential and life-saving medicines, not always discovering new molecules.
• Sandoz focuses on delivering existing solutions to more people at lower costs through generics and biosimilars.
• Sandoz touches 1 billion patients worldwide, including 6 million in Vietnam.

3. Healthcare Accessibility Challenges in Vietnam

• Vietnam has made significant progress in healthcare infrastructure, technology, and awareness.
• The biggest challenge is ensuring quality care reaches everyone, focusing on the "triangle of access": supply, price, and quality.
• Balancing this triangle is crucial for a sustainable healthcare system.
• Collaboration between government, private sector, healthcare providers, and companies like Sandoz is needed to address the access gap.

4. Generics and Biosimilars Explained

• A generic drug is a copy of an originator medicine, typically a small molecule drug like paracetamol or aspirin.
• Biosimilars are highly similar to original biologics (complex proteins made with living cells) but more affordable.
• Biosimilars emerge after the patent expiry of originator drugs, saving on research and development costs.
• Sandoz is a leading global company in generic and biosimilar medicines, offering 1,300 products across 100+ countries.
• Generics and biosimilars account for over 80% of medicines used worldwide but only 30% of the cost.

5. The Dream Healthcare System and PharmacoEconomics

• The financial burden of cancer patients in Vietnam is significant, with an estimated treatment cost of $1.16 billion USD for the top five cancer conditions.
• 70% of cancer patients face bankruptcy after treatment.
• A dream healthcare system would address these concerns by prioritizing therapeutic options to maximize impact with limited resources.
• PharmacoEconomics provides a framework for data-driven decision-making in healthcare resource allocation.
• It helps measure the impact of interventions and make strategic decisions for the entire Vietnamese healthcare landscape.

6. Sandoz's Unique Position

• Sandoz is the only global generic and biosimilar company that "actually wants to be a generic and biosimilar company."
• Sandoz aims to provide affordable, high-quality options through generics and biosimilars as patents expire on existing medicines.
• Sandoz has signed Memorandums of Understanding with the National Cancer Hospital (Benh vien K) and Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital to improve access to cancer treatments.

7. Addressing Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)

• Between 2020 and 2023, over 300,000 people in Vietnam died because antibiotics stopped working against infections.
• Sandoz Vietnam launched an AMR campaign in collaboration with the Vietnam Retail Association with the slogan "Don't let the miracle of antibiotics disappear."
• The campaign aims to raise awareness about the wise and proper usage of antibiotics.
• The campaign reached over 500,000 people daily in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.
• Vietnam has a national strategy for the prevention of AMR from 2023 to 2030, with a vision extending to 2045.

8. Key Issue to Solve for Vietnam's Healthcare System

• Ensuring that everyone, regardless of financial situation or location, has access to quality healthcare medicines.
• This aligns with Sandoz's vision of "pioneering access for patients."

9. Conclusion

• The podcast highlights the challenges and opportunities in Vietnam's healthcare system, particularly regarding access to affordable and quality medicines.
• Sandoz Vietnam is committed to addressing these challenges through its focus on generics and biosimilars, partnerships with hospitals, and public health campaigns.
• The discussion emphasizes the importance of collaboration, data-driven decision-making, and a patient-centric approach to improving healthcare outcomes in Vietnam.