Innovation can change the trajectory of human health

What's your name and what position do you hold?

Dr Thorsten Giesecke, General Manager, Commercial Business with Janssen Sciences Ireland, the pharmaceutical company of Johnson and Johnson. Prior to taking on this role, I was based in New Jersey where I was Director of Global Commercial Strategy for early assets in oncology.

What are your day to day responsibilities?

I lead the Commercial Business for Janssen , supplying new innovative medicines and services to the Irish health service. We focus on the areas of medicine with the highest unmet need, where we can make the greatest difference: oncology, immunology, infectious diseases and vaccines, neuroscience, cardiovascular and metabolism, and pulmonary hypertension. Across these therapeutic areas, we use our expertise in small molecules, monoclonal antibodies, cell and gene therapies, RNA therapeutics and vaccines to develop transformational medical innovations. Beyond developing innovative medicines, we work in partnership with patient organisations, healthcare professionals and the HSE to improve care pathways.

I work with my Leadership Team and the wider organisation to support the work they are doing to address some of Ireland’s most pressing health challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic with the Janssen vaccine, and cancer with precision medicines and cutting-edge technologies in cell and gene therapy.

What is your professional background?

I am a board-certified anaesthesiologist and pain therapist and hold an MD and a PhD from the University of Cologne. Improving the health of people was always at the centre of my career and I spent ten years working as an anaesthesiologist and scientist at University Hospitals in Germany and the United States. I first joined Janssen Germany in 2006 and assumed local medical and commercial roles of increasing responsibility before being appointed to European and Global leadership roles. In 2021, I was delighted to join Janssen Sciences Ireland, as General Manager for the Commercial Business.

What will the impact of COVID-19 be on health spending? Will health outcomes deteriorate after the virtual shutdown in “elective” procedures, and what are the lessons?

I do think there could be a post-pandemic pressure on healthcare budgets and, with it, a temptation to cut spending particularly on healthcare innovations like new medicines and medical devices. This would be a false economy and could risk reversing the strides in areas like cancer care, that have been seen in recent years. It’s a critical moment. As we emerge from this pandemic, we must continue to improve care, enhance patient outcomes and expand access to innovative treatments.

What lessons have we learned for the next crisis?

Covid-19 has put a huge strain on the healthcare system, hospitals, healthcare providers and people generally. However, it has also created innovation by pushing collaboration. We need to learn from our experiences of the past 18 months. Speaking to doctors, nurses and managers across the healthcare system, I hear similar sentiments. The health service is often unfairly criticised in public debate. But, in fact, people learned during the pandemic that their health service is – or at least can be – incredibly efficient. Especially if clinicians and local decision-makers are given the investment and the power to make decisions.

What opportunities will emerge out of the current crisis and eventual recovery for transforming health care?

As we emerge from the pandemic, there’s no doubt we face some big challenges in healthcare, but also there is great opportunity for positive change. Telemedicine - where patients consult with their physician via technology, rather than in face-to-face settings – was a huge positive from the pandemic. Also remote patient monitoring via wearables and AI, in the countries where it is being used, has really helped providers work more efficiently. Healthcare systems now have an opportunity to learn from these experiences and accelerate healthcare digitisation. More generally I think we learned that innovation – when it is embraced rather than discouraged by governments – can change the trajectory of human health. We have seen how quickly it has been possible to develop vaccines for COVID-19 and have these approved in a timely manner for the benefit of society. It’s vital we – in Ireland and the EU – shape a health ecosystem that values and fosters innovation.

What will the healthcare experience look like at the end of this decade?

Despite the very real problems that exist, the fundamentals are right in Irish healthcare and the quality of care is very strong. There is an understanding among healthcare professionals, staff and administration that we share the same goal, of getting the best available treatments to patients.

But I must say that delays in patients getting access to new treatments and medicines in Ireland is an impediment to improving the standard of care. Ireland has some of the longest average delays in Western Europe for access , especially when it comes to specialty, oncology and orphan drugs.

I think that a shift across the health service towards value based healthcare has the potential to reshape the healthcare landscape. The “value” in value-based care is derived from measuring health outcomes in a real-world setting against the cost of delivering the outcomes. By doing this along the care pathway, the health service will be able to collect and process critical information that enables better allocation of resources toward the interventions that bring the most value to patients and society. In Ireland, this would require building a more robust health information infrastructure (such as electronic health records) and collecting greater levels of clinical and RWE to support decision-making with a view to making better use of available healthcare resources or possibly lowering the costs of care. This shift in Irish healthcare will take time, effort and collaboration, but would be worth the investment.

Dr Thorsten Giesecke is speaking at the virtual 2022 National Health Summit, on Feb 8. For details and to book visit www.healthsummit.ie