Developing sustainable markets, increasing patient access

Global healthcare company Viatris is expanding its reach, further strengthening its commitment to sustainable development, to improve access to healthcare services in Vietnam. Ms. Radhika Bhalla, General Director of Viatris Vietnam and Asian Alliance Markets, shares the company's development roadmap and future strategy.

Ms. Radhika Bhalla, General Director of Viatris Vietnam and Asian Alliance Markets

Viatris’ technology transfer project is one of the first technology transfer projects for innovative drug production in Vietnam. Could you share a little about this project as well as the technology transfer plan in Vietnam in the near future?

Our relentless focus on improving access to healthcare services for patients and supporting the development of a sustainable healthcare system in Vietnam is evident in Viatris’ commitment to providing high-quality medicines through a balance of global, regional and local manufacturing, as well as investing resources in enhancing expertise in collaboration with local partners.

Our project is one of the first technology transfer projects for innovative drug production in Vietnam, in line with Decision 1165/QD-TTg dated October 9, 2023 of the Government to develop the domestic pharmaceutical industry, through balancing the supply capacity between local, regional and global on a large scale. We hope to receive further support from the Ministry of Health and relevant ministries and sectors for this project, contributing to making Vietnam a pharmaceutical production center of the ASEAN region within the next 10 to 20 years as planned by the Ministry of Health.

Viatris Inc. (NASDAQ: VTRS) is a global healthcare company uniquely positioned to bridge the traditional gap between branded and generic medicines, combining the best of both to more comprehensively address global healthcare needs.

With a mission to help people live healthier lives at every stage of life, Viatris delivers access at scale, currently delivering high-quality medicines to approximately 1 billion patients worldwide, across every moment of life, from acute to chronic conditions.

At Viatris, access is a deep concept, with a uniquely broad and deep portfolio of specialty medicines and a unique global supply chain that can reach more patients when and where they need them, along with deep scientific expertise to address a number of health challenges. The company is headquartered in the United States, with centers in Pittsburgh, Shanghai (China) and Hyderabad (India).

Launched in 2017, the project has achieved many memorable milestones. We signed the first contract with an EU-GMP-compliant factory to transfer technology to produce our generic drugs in Vietnam in October 2018. We then announced the expansion of our cooperation with this factory in licensing the production of other Viatris non-communicable disease drugs in December 2022. As of March 2024, we have received marketing authorization for the first 3 domestically produced technology transfer products from our company's generic drugs after many years since the technology transfer process began. Currently, some of our other domestically produced drugs are in the process of implementing different stages of technology transfer, pilot production and awaiting marketing authorization approval from the Drug Administration of Vietnam.

Over the past 7 years, we have implemented a comprehensive training program to enhance the production capacity of the workforce in Vietnam. Technical experts from Viatris' global headquarters have continuously conducted technical training programs and transferred generic drug manufacturing technology processes to more than 200 employees from various departments of our manufacturing partners in Vietnam, including production, quality control, technical equipment maintenance, operations management and supply chain. It can be said that our technology transfer has been contributing to the development of a highly skilled workforce in the Vietnamese pharmaceutical industry.

With Viatris' pioneering role in implementing technology transfer of generic pharmaceuticals in Vietnam, we have been strengthening our commitment and contribution to enhancing local knowledge, skills and expertise.

Vietnam is implementing legal reforms to further promote technology transfer in the pharmaceutical industry in general and to create more favorable conditions for Viatris’ technology transfer project in particular. In your opinion, what lessons should Vietnam learn from other countries to increase investment attraction in this field?

Technology transfer in the pharmaceutical industry is identified as a top priority of the Government to meet the healthcare needs of the Vietnamese people. As one of the pioneering companies implementing projects on outsourcing and transferring technology for generic drug production in Vietnam, we are very pleased to receive much encouragement and support from the Government and the Ministry of Health. However, this activity still faces many difficulties and obstacles in terms of registration procedures and investment policies. Therefore, legal reforms are needed to create a clearer and more attractive foreign investment environment for the pharmaceutical industry.

In some countries, policymakers are focusing on this technology transfer initiative to promote self-sufficiency and help countries address healthcare needs through a combination of global, regional and local manufacturing. Vietnam can achieve a similar balance while continuing to attract investment by providing tax incentives, simplifying the licensing process for technology transfer drugs, and facilitating early market entry of these drugs.

In addition, reducing the administrative burden associated with technology transfer models could attract more specialized investment from multinational companies to Vietnam, which in the long term would promote the strong development of the domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, while maintaining the global supply chain.

Strengthening partnerships is crucial to sustaining the growth of the domestic pharmaceutical industry. How has Viatris joined this effort to strengthen its commitment to the Vietnamese community? What are the company’s plans going forward in this regard?

VViatris continues to strengthen its commitment to be a trusted partner of the Vietnamese healthcare community through its efforts to support the development of the domestic pharmaceutical industry. By strengthening our partnership with a local EU-GMP certified manufacturing facility, we are transferring technology to produce essential medicines for the treatment of non-communicable diseases in Vietnam.

To raise awareness of the disease in the healthcare community, we partner with many medical associations and hospitals to support healthcare professionals (HCPs) through educational programs to optimize treatment protocols. Starting in 2022, Viatris, in collaboration with the Vietnam National Heart Association (VNHA) and the Vietnam Interventional Cardiology Society (VICS), developed the SCORE-VN application - a digital tool to support physicians in estimating and stratifying cardiovascular risk for Vietnamese people. As of August 2024, the application has recorded more than 221,000 visits from healthcare professionals nationwide.

Recently, on August 3, 2024, we successfully organized the Viatris Masterclass 2024 conference in collaboration with the Vietnam National Heart Association and the Vietnam Rheumatology Association. This is a milestone in our training program series for healthcare professionals in the Southeast Asia region. This event provides a platform to share knowledge, develop skills and explore innovative solutions in cardiovascular health, pain management and connecting these two treatment areas with mental health management to achieve optimal outcomes for patients.

In addition, we cooperate with the Vietnam Internal Medicine Association and the Ho Chi Minh City Pharmacy Association to conduct training programs for more than 1,000 pharmacists from 4 major pharmacy chains as well as other retail pharmacies nationwide. Our goal is to contribute to improving health care knowledge in the community by enhancing pharmacists' consulting skills for patients, especially those with cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and men's health problems.

By combining our expertise with our local knowledge, we are committed to providing high-quality, accessible and sustainable healthcare solutions to patients across the country. We look forward to continuing to work with the government, healthcare professionals and communities to promote and develop a healthier future for Vietnam.

As the new General Director of Viatris Vietnam, can you share your business strategy priorities to promote the company's local presence, thereby contributing to increasing Vietnamese patients' access to high-quality medicines?

At Viatris, we are working to develop a comprehensive business strategy that not only expands our commercial operations in Vietnam, but also strengthens our commitment to the local healthcare community. To achieve this goal, we will focus on a sustainable approach at scale.

Viatris’ mission is to help patients live healthier lives at every stage of their lives. We strive to ensure access to healthcare, no matter where they are or what their circumstances are. Viatris Vietnam demonstrates this mission by ensuring that our diverse portfolio of medicines is available and used across the country for a variety of therapeutic categories.

Towards this mission, we will expand our collaboration with local medical associations and healthcare professionals in organizing scientific conferences, training programs and community health initiatives. Through these efforts, we aim to raise awareness of various health conditions, promote early detection and improve treatment outcomes for the Vietnamese people.

Going forward, we will continue to contribute to the sustainable development of the healthcare sector by prioritizing the expansion of our product portfolio to meet a wider range of unmet healthcare needs in Vietnam. By providing more diverse treatment solutions, we aim to improve patient treatment outcomes, optimize disease management costs, and improve the overall health of the Vietnamese people.

Last but not least, as a strategic partner, Viatris has been and continues to accompany the Ministry of Health and related ministries and sectors in the goal of simplifying drug registration and procurement procedures at medical facilities, thereby contributing to improving treatment effectiveness and access to essential drugs for patients.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/phat-trien-thi-truong-ben-vung-tang-kha-nang-tiep-can-cua-benh-nhan-d225721.html