ImmunoOncology (IO) expands the treatment possibilities and provides substantial clinical benefit, especially in patients who had little to no effective treatment options less than a decade ago. IO features prominently at the 2019 annual European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) annual congress in Barcelona where agenda items will cover topics such as the current biomarkers in immunotherapy (e.g. PD-L1) and understanding the emerging role of I/O in gastro enterological (GI) cancers.
While IO therapies are among the most promising drugs they are associated with high cost.
Value of medicines number one concern for oncologists.
Financial impact and affordability of medicines are the number one concern for oncologists reported in MDOutlook’s 2019 Leadership research in ImmunoOncology. Oncologists were asked to choose their top three areas (from fourteen attributes) for corporate leaders to improve most in the next three years.
The sentiment was especially pronounced with US based oncologists where almost half (47%) worry about the financial impact of oncology medications on the healthcare system and patients. In Europe, similar concerns are also shared by a large group of oncologists (37%), and equally viewed as the most concerning aspects moving forward. This coincides with the debate on the value of medicines picking up speed on both continents, and in Europe, more regulators and payors are working together on joint HTA assessments and cross-border purchasing (e.g. BeNeLuxA initiative).
While financial considerations do not materially influence oncologists treatment decisions, the rising cost of medications is an ever-present worry. The surveyed oncologists fear insufficient value may have a toxic financial effect on the overall healthcare system.
Earlier and accelerated access
Oncologists in our research would like to see better and earlier access to innovative treatments for their patients. Financial support mechanisms such as patient support programs play an important role in making a difference for patients. Aligning your market access programs and strategies with the needs of healthcare professionals will further help to alleviate widely held concerns of “financial toxicity”. Communications and marketing functions also need to improve their messages and materials to communicate enhanced and differentiated value (see our analysis above) for all stakeholders in the healthcare system.
Meet us at ESMO
With IO presentations featuring prominently at major conferences (such as ESMO), it is vital to be in tune with treaters and experts views and have access to timely precision intelligence and actionable recommendations in order to adapt your engagement with your professional audience. Our international teams are uniquely positioned to provide you with vital ingredients of experience, expertise, treaters & ThougthLeader engagement and agile solutions to empower client confidence when guiding commercial strategies.
With wide ranging solutions such as ONCpulse™, we can rapidly access verified and highly relevant oncologists and experts specific to any solid, liquid or rare cancer to capture their views through our large international community.
Let’s take your next step together by meeting at the ESMO annual meeting (September 27 – October 1st) in Barcelona or arranging a more convenient date / time to scope out your future success!
For further discussion or to arrange a meeting, please contact [email protected] or call +1 404.496.4136.
