In this episode of Pep Talks, Emma interviews Rina Newton, a renowned expert in compliance, particularly within the pharmaceutical industry. Rina shares her journey into the field of compliance, emphasising the importance of understanding and navigating the complexities of self-regulation.

The discussion delves into the challenges faced by pharma companies in patient engagement and the fear of breaching compliance codes, which often leads to inertia. Rina advocates for a more proactive approach, encouraging companies to innovate and pilot new methods of patient interaction while maintaining compliance.

The conversation also highlights the potential for patient advocacy groups to drive change and the need for pharma companies to embrace a more collaborative and patient-centric approach. Rina's insights underscore the necessity of balancing compliance with innovation to improve patient outcomes and industry practices.

In this episode of PEP Talks, Emma interviews Dr. David Gillen, the Chief Medical Officer of Norgine, discussing the evolution and importance of patient engagement in the pharmaceutical industry. Reflecting on their first meeting 16 years ago, they explore how patient demands and advocacy have shaped industry practices.

Dr. Gillen emphasises the critical role of patient engagement professionals in drug development, highlighting the shift from a physician-centric approach to a more patient-focused strategy. He acknowledges the challenges and benefits of integrating patient voices into clinical trials, regulatory frameworks, and medical affairs. The conversation also touches on the impact of social media and online communities in amplifying patient voices, the professionalisation of patient engagement, and the complexities of developing medicines for paediatric populations.

Dr. Gillen shares insights on balancing safety, efficacy, and patient needs, and underscores the importance of teamwork and resilience in overcoming obstacles in medicine development.

Emma hosts the third series of Pep Talks, sponsored by Norgine Pharmaceuticals, featuring Mark Bradley, a pioneer in patient engagement. Mark shares his journey from a student nurse in Northern Ireland to founding the People With platform.

He discusses the importance of personalized medicine and the need for better understanding patient profiles to improve treatment outcomes. Mark's vision is to use real-world data to inform clinical trials and patient care, emphasising the value of patient input in medical research. He highlights the challenges and successes of integrating patient data into healthcare, aiming to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of treatments.

Emma and Mark explore the potential of platforms like People With to revolutionise patient care and clinical research, making a significant impact on the future of medicine.

This PEP Talks episode features an engaging conversation between Emma and Paul Simms, founder and chief executive of Impatient. Sponsored by Norgine, the discussion delves into the challenges and frustrations of patient engagement in the pharmaceutical industry.

Paul shares his journey and the motivation behind founding Impatient, emphasising the need for a culture of continuous experimentation and adaptation in pharma. The conversation highlights the importance of integrating patient engagement as a standard practice, removing emotional and professional barriers, and fostering a more innovative and responsive industry. Emma and Paul advocate for proactive, creative approaches to patient engagement, urging professionals to act on their ideas swiftly and decisively.

Emma hosts another edition of PEP Talks, featuring Dr. Gudula Peterson, the global patient engagement lead at Grunenthal.

Gudula shares her extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry, highlighting her journey from compliance to patient engagement. She discusses the evolution of patient involvement in clinical trials, emphasizing the importance of integrating patient perspectives early in the process.

Gudula also reflects on her roles at Grunenthal, including her work in governmental affairs and patient centricity, and the impact of collaborative projects like the Societal Impact of Pain platform.

She underscores the need for structured patient engagement practices and the benefits of professional societies like ISPEP. Gudula concludes by sharing her motivation and the importance of teamwork in advancing patient engagement.

In this episode of the Pep Talks podcast, Emma talks to Liselotte Hyveled, the Chief Patient Officer at Novo Nordisk. Liselotte shares her unconventional journey from a pharmacist to her current role, emphasizing her focus on patient-centricity throughout her career.

She discusses the importance of understanding patient experiences and integrating those insights into the development of treatment options. Liselotte outlines the structured approach of her team, which includes patient voice strategy managers, engagement managers, and insights and intelligence managers, to ensure a systematic and impactful patient engagement strategy.

She highlights the challenges of appreciation, bias, and compliance in patient engagement and underscores the significance of long-term relationships with patient organisations. Liselotte also shares her personal motivation and the support she received from industry peers, encouraging others to seek guidance and maintain the patient’s voice within their organisations.

This Pep Talks episode features Begonya Nafria Escalera, head of patient engagement in research at St. John De De Children's Hospital, who champions the inclusion of children and young people in clinical research, a practice not yet widespread in Spain.

Begonya discusses the challenges of communicating complex trial protocols to young patients and their families, highlighting the innovative methods her department employs, such as high-realistic simulation, to ensure trials are both patient-friendly and effective. Sharing her personal journey, Begonya emphasises the importance of publishing successful patient involvement projects to inspire others.

The conversation underscores the need for persistence, passion, and collaboration in patient engagement and celebrates the positive trend of pharmaceutical companies increasingly valuing patient input in clinical trial design.

On PEP Talks, Emma interviews communications coach and advocate Monica Kleijn Evason. They recall meeting at a cancer conference where survivors' "FUCK cancer" shirts sparked a discussion on disruptive language in advocacy. Monica shares her advocacy journey, prompted by her son's brain tumor diagnosis and their struggles with the medical system. She stresses communication and empathy in healthcare, especially for young survivors post-treatment.

They also discuss emotional regulation for advocates and improved communication between patients, doctors, and pharma. Monica concludes with inspiration from young survivors who find humor in hardship.