Transformative Medicines Are a Healthcare and Societal Priority
Innovations in medicine currently taking place are bringing significant positive changes that benefit both patients and healthcare systems. They are also shifting the treatment paradigm, meaning that society as a whole must prepare for these changes to fully leverage their potential, says Ana Govedarica, General Manager of Roche for Serbia and Montenegro. In an interview with Diplomacy & Commerce, Govedarica explains that cell and gene therapies have the potential to revolutionise healthcare by offering unprecedented treatment opportunities. However, understanding the technical complexities of implementing transformative advanced therapy products is crucial.
Roche is dedicated to being a reliable partner to healthcare systems in developing tailored solutions for the production of transformative therapies. The company has been leading for decades in developing therapies for the most severe diseases and promoting personalised medicine.
What Are Transformative Medicines, and Why Should They Be a Societal Focus?
Transformative medicines are, simply put, therapies that bring about radical changes in how certain diseases are treated. Unlike traditional medicines, which typically aim to manage symptoms, transformative medicines can significantly improve patients’ quality of life and even slow down or stop disease progression.
These therapies, such as biological and gene therapies, can have a profound impact on patients with severe chronic illnesses, cancers, rare diseases, or autoimmune disorders. Their value lies not only in treating diseases and prolonging patients’ lives but also in reducing the need for frequent medical interventions and making therapies more tolerable.
Focusing on transformative medicines is not just a healthcare matter but a societal one. When individuals can continue to work and contribute to their families and communities, the ripple effects are substantial — both on a personal level and for society as a whole.
Investment in such therapies, while seemingly high initially, significantly reduces the burden on healthcare systems in the long term and represents a responsible strategy for the future.
The focus on transformative medicines is not just a healthcare issue but also a societal one. When an individual can continue working and contributing to their family and community, the effects are multifaceted—impacting both the individual and society as a whole
How Do You See the Advantages Serbia Can Gain by Investing in Innovative and Transformative Therapies? Do You Believe Such Investments Are Justified?
Absolutely! Although the investments required for the development and implementation of these therapies are indeed substantial, they offer significant long-term returns. Beyond their efficiency and benefits for patients, innovative medicines reduce the need for frequent hospitalisations and other costly medical interventions. This has a direct impact on savings in the healthcare budget and can increase the availability of resources for the broader population.
It’s important to distinguish between innovative and transformative therapies. While both bring significant advantages to patients and healthcare systems, transformative therapies often represent the most significant leaps in treatment advancements. In contrast, innovative therapies introduce new mechanisms and technologies that improve and enhance the treatment of existing or new conditions.
However, this is just one part of the story. Early and accurate diagnosis, along with organised screening programs, allows diseases to be detected in time, resulting in much better treatment outcomes.
In Serbia, we face specific challenges due to limited resources in the healthcare sector, but given the substantial benefits of these therapies, investing in them is undoubtedly worthwhile. Stable funding for innovative and transformative therapies through a dedicated budget line would enable Serbia to align with Europe in a few years in terms of patient access to the most effective medicines.
How Important Is Screening When It Comes to the Most Severe Diseases?
Screening is absolutely crucial. Early detection of diseases, before symptoms become severe, can be decisive. In the case of cancer, for example, screening allows the disease to be identified in its early stages when the chances of a cure are much higher. Research and practice have shown that patients diagnosed at an early stage often have better prognoses and respond more effectively to therapies.
Screening is particularly important for diseases where symptoms are non-specific or develop slowly, as is often the case with many chronic illnesses. Although Serbia’s healthcare system faces its challenges, implementing effective screening programs and modern diagnostic techniques can save numerous lives and enable earlier treatment.
With this in mind, Roche advocates for the introduction and improvement of screening programs in collaboration with local institutions and healthcare organisations.
Roche Launches the Rise Academy Project in Serbia. Can You Tell Us More About It?
The RISE project is a local initiative launched a year and a half ago, addressing critical challenges that young healthcare professionals face in modern healthcare systems. Its goal is to equip these young individuals with essential competencies that extend beyond the scope of traditional medical education.
The project focuses on three key areas: enhancing scientific knowledge, fostering leadership skills, and exploring the role of digitalisation in contemporary healthcare systems. RISE brings together 30 young doctors, whom we call “rising stars,” along with an equal number of experts from these fields who serve as lecturers and mentors. These mentors are dedicated to reshaping the future of healthcare in Serbia. It would be beneficial for institutions responsible for educating healthcare professionals to implement similar curricula on a larger scale.
Stable funding for innovative and transformative therapies through a dedicated budget line would enable Serbia to catch up with Europe in just a few years regarding patient access to the most effective medicines
How Do You See the Future of Healthcare Innovations, and Where Is Roche Striving to Make the Greatest Impact?
We aim to make the greatest impact precisely where patient needs are most pronounced—primarily in the fields of oncology, neurology, ophthalmology, as well as cardiology and metabolic diseases. It is less known that Roche is one of the few companies heavily investing in new antibiotics to tackle the pressing issue of antimicrobial resistance.
Additionally, we are committed to improving healthcare systems by supporting the introduction of new screening programs and educational initiatives. As a partner of the Bio4 Campus, initiated by the Government of Serbia, Roche seeks to support the development of scientific institutes and educational institutions, further positioning Serbia on the global innovation map.
I believe that with this approach, we will contribute to better accessibility and quality of healthcare, not just in Serbia but across the entire region.