New Hungary office: Honoring heritage while looking forward

Earlier this year, we celebrated the opening of our 15th office worldwide in Szeged, Hungary – a community with a long history of resilience and rebirth on the world stage. We wanted to share the journey to Szeged through the eyes of Zsófia Székács-Pecze, who led the site selection and renovation process on behalf of Envision Pharma Group.

Click the button below to read Zsófia's blog post!

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Envision Pharma Group (Envision) today announces the appointment of Adam B. Deutsch as General Counsel and member of its Executive Leadership Team. In this position he will lead the company’s global legal strategy through advisement on a broad range of legal, ethical, and governance matters.

Adam was most recently the Chief Business Officer & General Counsel for Clario that holds leading market positions in electronic clinical outcome assessment (eCOA), medical imaging, cardiac safety, and respiratory solutions. Prior to that, he held several executive leadership roles, including Chief Transformation Officer and General Counsel for ConvaTec, a FTSE 100 global medtech company. 

Adam was instrumental in identifying transformational business opportunities while navigating enterprise risk with two major private equity healthcare exits, through ConvaTec's $1.8 billion IPO and Biomet's $13.35 billion merger with Zimmer Holdings. 

“I am so excited to welcome Adam to the Envision team,” shares Howard Miller, CEO of Envision Pharma Group. “Adam’s depth of knowledge and proven leadership capabilities will guide Envision’s legal strategy and operations, while his management of our talented legal team will be crucial to the success of our organization.” 

Adam adds, “I'm excited to join Envision and serve our employees and clients. Envision offers uniquely compelling solutions with market-leading and next-generation technology, a world-class team of over 1400 experts, and highly in-demand services that enable our clients to better serve patients and thrive in a complex and rapidly changing healthcare environment. This dynamic team alongside a comprehensive solutions-oriented service platform, position the company for its next phase of growth and it's a privilege for me to be able to help achieve these aspirations.”

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Nick Marasco, Chief Commercial Officer of Envision Pharma Group, has more than 25 years of pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device industry experience, and he is a registered pharmacist by trade. He has filled roles on all sides of the table to help support bringing more than 250 assets to launch. This range of perspective has given him a front-row seat to some of the most significant shifts in the industry. 

 

One of the most significant changes to the launch process in the last few decades is how we define commercialization itself. Historically, commercialization referred to sales and marketing: brochures, sales reps, slogans, and commercials. But the types of products that are filling the pipeline are forcing a change in how we define commercialization.

I’d argue that this change is for the better. Redefining commercialization yields better outcomes, cost efficiencies, and improved patient care and adherence.

 

What’s happening now?

Biopharma innovation is increasingly focused on products that have specialized clinical value, like cell and gene therapies and orphan and rare disease drugs, as follow-on drugs are no longer as viable on the market as they once were. As evidenced by recent legislation and the persistence of drug pricing scrutiny, the rising costs of these innovative drugs make it more important to show deep scientific value to payers (both government and private), prescribers, patients, caregivers, and other external stakeholders.

Commercialization strategies in today’s market extend beyond the reach, frequency, and share-of-voice game of the past. Instead, companies must achieve new objectives and new market needs to commercialize an asset, including: 

1. communicate the deep scientific value
2. engage with payers early on to inform the clinical and communication profile 
3. advise on clinical trial design so that products can be optimally positioned for payers
4. serve as the collaborative bridge between medical affairs and value access 

With science playing an ever more prominent role in driving the discussion, I think it’s now essential for all other parts of the launch process to become comfortable with the fact that they can - and should - take ownership of commercialization. And none more so than the medical affairs function. 

 

Medical Affairs Driving Commercialization

Because the heavy emphasis of commercialization used to be sales and marketing, medical affairs professionals were often quick to shy away from claiming to be a part of the commercialization process.

I’ve thought for a while, and more people are starting to agree, that commercialization really begins with medical affairs, value, and access.

We’re now in an environment where payers are hyper-focused on the differentiating clinical value that a new product brings to the table, and it is medical affairs professionals who are best poised (and credentialed) to drive that asset value messaging. 

Medical affairs touches a launch strategy at several points along the path to launch. But the earlier they can get involved and collaborate with value and access, the better positioned a product can be for payers. 

 

The Proof is in the Payers

Years ago, I worked at a pharma company and was responsible for nine assets in the pipeline. When the assets were in Phase II, we met with more than 100 national, regional, and local payers, IDNs, and health systems. And we asked them, in a very straightforward manner, what they wanted to see from our product when it came to market, and what would create significant value for their patients and providers. So, our Phase III trial design was based on showing the payer a differentiating value. 

It was one of the first times in the history of that company that a Phase III trial was ever designed with payer positioning in mind, and I can confidently say that it was the connectivity between medical affairs and value access that drove the performance of the asset by the time it got to the market.

Since then, I have seen this theory gain more footing. If you look at the number of value access consultants that have emerged over the past 10 years, you can see that they’re providing value by connecting the payer to the company earlier in the development process. To me, this is proof that medical affairs insights can’t be leveraged early enough.

 

Why This Matters

If my memory serves me well, there was a time when people bought vehicles based on things like size, speed, color, and sex appeal. But today, why do people buy cars? Safety, braking, fuel efficiency. It’s progressed to being more about safety, accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and clinical value, versus later-stage sales and marketing appeals. 

And something similar is happening in the emerging pharma space. Prescribers and patients have higher expectations, and if they’re also seeing a higher price tag, they want to go deeper into the scientific value of any product they’re considering. 

When we give ownership of commercialization to different players on the launch team, with particular attention to medical affairs, there are a lot of benefits on the table. We’re bringing better drugs to the market, having a greater impact on patient outcomes, designing more optimal trials, and making efficient use of payer spend.

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Envision Pharma Group today announces the appointment of Howard Miller as Chief Executive Officer. Howard previously held the position of Chief Executive Officer of Two Labs, a company acquired by Envision Pharma in November 2020.

Howard is an accomplished leader with deep sector knowledge and experience in pharma professional services having held positions at international organizations such as Abbott Laboratories, Cardinal Health and, most recently, Two Labs. He also has a proven track record in delivering sustained growth and innovation in commercialization advisory services driven by his people-first approach.

During his 15 years at Two Labs, Howard has overseen 280+ drug launches and has grown the team from <5 to over 250 employees dedicated to providing custom commercialization solutions for biopharma. As a leader, he has successfully led the acquisition and integration of both service and technology companies, the most recent of which was the 2021 acquisition of Riparian- a pharma consulting and SaaS company. It is this combination of experience and expertise that makes Howard a natural choice to lead Envision.

Together with the Executive Leadership Team, Howard will continue to lead in the delivery of Envision’s five-year plan to reinforce the Company as the tech-enabled strategic solutions partner delivering smarter, faster outcomes for the life science industry. 

Howard Miller, newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of Envision Pharma Group said: “Envision has deep expertise, an outstanding reputation, and a team of 1400+ experts that truly is the best in the business, which I have had the privilege to see and experience first-hand as CEO of Two Labs.

I am excited by this opportunity to bring my experience to the wider organization and further advance our strategy in this next chapter that reinforces our continued commitment to our team and clients. I would like to thank Meg for her contributions to the continued success of Envision during her time leading the organization.”

The Board of Envision Pharma Group added: “Howard brings with him extensive knowledge and experience, not only from his tenure at Two Labs, but from across his entire career. With his authentic approach to leadership, focus on clients and commitment to accountability, he is well positioned to lead us in Envision’s next phase of growth. We express our sincere thanks to Meg for her leadership of the organisation.”

Meg Heim said: “I am proud of the accomplishments Envision has achieved during my time as CEO. We have built an organisation fit for the future with improved alignment with customer needs and have enhanced our offering to clients. I wish Howard and the Envision team continued success.”

About Envision Pharma Group
Founded in 2001, Envision Pharma Group is a leading global technology-enabled strategic solutions partner for the life sciences industry, working with over 200 pharma and biotech companies, including 19 of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies. Envision supports clients across the product life cycle through a comprehensive suite of services and industry-leading technology solutions that include artificial intelligence and natural language processing, commercialization and integrated strategic consulting, evidence-based scientific communications and engagement, HEOR/market access and data analytics, medical capabilities, and omnichannel solutions. Learn more at www.envisionpharmagroup.com.
 

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OKRA.ai, an Envision Pharma Group (Envision) company, has appointed senior leader, Dr. Yahya Anvar as Chief of AI Science & Insights to unleash the full potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and to further support the life sciences industry.

“I am excited about continuing the innovative collaboration between Envision and OKRA.ai along with Yahya as a senior leader as it further solidifies our Envision commitment to the expansion of OKRA.ai and leadership in the AI and technical space,” shares Meg Heim, CEO of Envision Pharma Group. “His leadership is critical to our vision to accelerate the delivery of our compelling combination of technology-enabled capabilities and solutions to clients as we continue to strengthen our offerings across the product life cycle, but more importantly to support patients in their journey to health and wellness.” 

Anvar joined OKRA.ai in 2019, heading the Data Science team. During his tenure, he has led the development of AI solutions across OKRA.ai's portfolio of products and services. Prior to joining the company, he served as the principal investigator of preclinical personalized medicine at Leiden University Medical Center. He has over 14 years of experience in the healthcare sector and is the author of over 30 peer-reviewed scientific articles. Anvar holds a PhD in Computational Biology from the faculty of Medicine at Leiden University, and an MSc in Bioinformatics and Artificial Intelligence from Brunel University.

Anvar shares, “It is an absolute privilege to be leading the AI insights and science at Envision and pushing the boundaries of what AI has to offer to better patients' outcomes. Making an impact through solutions that provide actionable, explainable insights is what we thrive for. There is no better time for new beginnings than today, and I'm so excited to be working with the Envision team to transform the industry as we know it.”

Dr. Loubna Bouarfa, Head of AI & Innovative Platforms at Envision shares, “It was a pleasure to work with Yahya, he has been exceptional leader of the Data Science team at OKRA.ai. His role has now expanded to cover AI insights and scientific expertise across the entire Envision organization following our recent acquisition. I look forward to working with him in driving AI innovation and propelling Envision to new heights.”

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Envision Pharma Group (Envision) has appointed Dr. Deepti Sodhi Jaggi to the Envision Board of Directors

“We are pleased to welcome Deepti to the Envision Board of Directors,” shares Meg Heim, CEO of Envision Pharma Group. “Deepti’s deep experience in the technology of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital therapeutics in the life sciences industry will be invaluable to our mission at Envision as we continue to accelerate our global business expansion and commitment to our clients, and most importantly, impacting patient lives in a positive manner.” 

Dr. Jaggi’s career includes over 20 years of experience in driving innovation at the intersection of life sciences, healthcare, and technology. Her expertise is in transforming businesses through software, AI/ML, and advanced analytics. Most recently, she served as Chief Strategy & Commercial Officer at Better Therapeutics, a publicly held digital therapeutics company. Before that, she served as the Global Head of Patient Insights & Solutions at Astellas Pharmaceuticals with responsibility for the Americas, EMEA, China, and Japan.

Prior to that, Dr. Jaggi served as President & Chief Medical Officer at Clinakos Inc., a Silicon Valley company at the forefront of leveraging data and AI in healthcare and life sciences. She helped grow Clinakos from startup to revenue stage, serving multiple top pharmaceutical companies.

Dr. Jaggi’s previous experience includes positions of increasing responsibility and leadership at Johnson & Johnson, Genentech, Oracle, and Kaiser Permanente. She has also served as a consultant to TPG Capital and is a member of the Board of Directors for Technology Credit Union in the San Francisco Bay Area.

“I am thrilled to join the Envision Board at such an exciting time for our industry. I look forward to working with an immensely talented team to accelerate innovation in life sciences through technology and scientific solutions to positively impact patient lives,” says Dr. Jaggi. 

Dr. Jaggi’s educational background includes a PharmD from the University of Southern California and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business. 

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Envision Pharma Group (Envision) has appointed Dr. Jennifer Costello, PharmD, BCPS, CMPP to the role of Chief Medical Officer. Jennifer will be responsible for progressing work across all sectors of Envision’s business including Technology, Medical, Commercial, Public Affairs, and Value & Access and Data Analytics.

Meg Heim, CEO of Envision Pharma Group, adds, “I am so excited to welcome Jennifer to the Envision team as Chief Medical Officer. Jennifer’s deep expertise in science, and commercialization in the life sciences industry, in addition to her extensive pharmaceutical understanding and experience will further support the acceleration of our business expansion, mission, and commitment to our vision as a technology-enabled partner to the life sciences industry.”

Jennifer is an accomplished pharmaceutical and healthcare leader with over 20 years of experience across the healthcare sector. She brings to this role extensive cardiovascular, medical, and patient care-related focused expertise, with a successful track record of leading high-performing cross-matrix teams with global impact.

Prior to joining Envision, Jennifer held multiple leadership roles in global medical affairs and publications, US HEOR publications, and global scientific content. She developed a reputation for leading successful partnerships with cross functional colleagues, advocacy partners, and academic groups that resulted in building innovative programs that foster healthcare transformation. 

Jennifer joins Envision from Bristol Myers Squibb where she most recently led cardiovascular (CV) patient advocacy across its CV portfolio (early phase assets to marketed products). She drove the development and execution of global and US strategies for a successful launch of a first-in-class CV asset, working across early asset development, commercial, and medical affairs teams. For her work in this space, she was awarded the coveted “Innovation Award” from BMS.

Before joining the pharmaceutical industry, her 16 years of experience as a practicing clinical pharmacist was within the academic medical-teaching hospital. Jennifer served in numerous roles as a pediatric critical care specialist, adult ambulatory clinical care specialist, hospital administrator, and as a Director of Clinical Pharmacy Services. Under a collaborative practice agreement, she also led outpatient care optimization, directly co-managing heart failure, antithrombotic, and diabetic patients. 

Jennifer received her PharmD from Northeastern University, completed her ASHP PGY-1 residency at the University of Arizona/University Medical Center, and received her board certification as a pharmacotherapy specialist from the American College of Clinical Pharmacy. She served in adjunct teaching positions with Rutgers University (where she continues to be a visiting professor) and the University of Florida. She has authored over 50 publications and posters and served as a pharmacy national thought leader within the heart failure, antithrombotic, and diabetes management space. 

Jennifer adds, “I am delighted and humbled to join the Envision team during this transformative time. I am looking forward to meeting and working with our Envision family, customers, and partners. This is an exciting period for our industry at large, and I am privileged to build upon our company vision, award-winning technology, and innovation as medical affairs and global healthcare communication leaders.”

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Envision Pharma Group (Envision) has appointed Tino Quintero to the role of General Manager/VP of Market Access & Customer Insights.

Tino will be responsible for collectively driving Envision’s capability building, client and business development, client servicing, and project execution, as well as staff development and mentorship for the Market Access & Customer Insights teams. 

Meg Heim, CEO of Envision Pharma Group, shares, “I am so excited to welcome Tino to the Envision team as General Manager/VP of Market Access & Customer Insights. Tino’s depth of expertise and proven leadership capabilities in market access will drive Envision’s market access strategy as we continue to solidify our leadership and proficiency in the value and access and data analytics space. Tino will further support the acceleration of our business expansion, mission, and commitment to our vision as a technology-enabled partner to the life sciences industry.”

Tino has over 25 years of demonstrated success as a biopharma and life sciences executive. He possesses broad experience in global commercial strategy, market and value access, and business development at Sarepta Therapeutics, Gilead, Vertex, AbbVie, and Syneos. He has been instrumental in the launch and commercialization of numerous products in various therapeutic areas, including cell and gene therapy, rare diseases, oncology, and infectious and autoimmune diseases. He has a consistent and proven track record of success in building, leading, and executing corporate goals.

Tino joins Envision from The Q Group, where as a founder, he advised executive leaders on critical operational and strategic areas for cell and gene therapy, mental health, and healthcare software companies. Prior to this, he was Chief Commercial Officer at Locus Biosciences where he led commercial strategy for the company’s early-stage pipeline assets, human resources, and strategic partnerships. Tino developed a go-to-market plan to secure Series B fundraising, corporate strategic leadership, and management of alliance partnerships. 

Tino adds, “I am very fortunate to join the Envision Pharma Group team during this exciting time of growth. We are leveraging data, technology, and our teams’ experience to address customers’ needs and improve outcomes. I look forward to accelerating our current business while expanding into new markets and engaging new customers.”

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We are excited to be attending ISPOR 2023 as both sponsors and exhibitors, where we’ll also be hosting a product theater and presenting 4 posters. 

The Value, Access, and Data Sciences team provides our clients unparalleled domain expertise across the product life cycle, augmented with the application of advanced analytics, enabled with AI and machine learning to ensure rigor and confidence in your critical development and commercialization decisions. 

Visit us at booth #717 where we will be happy to show you how we can support your product value, market access, RWE, optimal price, HTA, and commercial potential. Come and meet Mel Formica, Suki Kandola, and other Value, Access and Data Sciences team members at ISPOR 2023, booth #717, May 7–10, Boston, US. 

Want to meet at a specific day and time at the event? Then send a message to: Value@envisionpharma.com.Click the button below to check the full meeting agenda – and follow us on social media for live updates and exclusive behind-the-scenes content.

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Envision Pharma Group is proud to announce its participation at MAPS EMEA 2023 in Lisbon. Set to take place between May 14–16, the conference will bring together some of the brightest minds in the industry to share insights, exchange ideas, and discuss the latest developments and industry breakthroughs. 

Our team of experts will be on hand to communicate its knowledge and expertise, so get ready to meet Dawn Lobban, Elizabeth Perdeaux, Trevor Fitzpatrick, and Andrew Thompson.

See the full meeting agenda via the button below and follow us on social media for live updates and exclusive behind-the-scenes content.   

We look forward to sharing our insights and experiences with the broader medical affairs community! 

MAPS EMEA Agenda

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Envision Pharma Group (Envision) has appointed Richard “Rich” Gorman to the role of President, Strategic Consulting and member of the Executive Leadership Team.

Rich is a 30-year veteran of the life sciences industry and a respected leader with a track record of success in pharmaceutical commercialization. He is an experienced head of high-performing teams that build go-to-market strategies to deliver on business development and revenue generation goals.

Rich will be responsible for leading the Strategic Consulting business across Envision’s commercial, medical, and technology sectors. He will lead a team of scientific, medical, and commercial strategists with deep expertise in the life sciences industry while combining its technology and AI platforms to accelerate the business and scientific momentum of clients’ strategies.

Prior to joining Envision, Rich served as Chief Commercial Officer and Global Head of Strategy for Amplity Health. Before that, he held various leadership positions and senior business development roles at Syneos Health. His background includes serving as a CEO for a specialty pharmaceutical company, as well as several positions within the field of contract pharmaceutical development and manufacturing.

Rich shares, “I am delighted to be joining Envision Pharma Group at this pivotal and exciting time. I am honored to have the opportunity to lead this talented team of strategy consultants. Combining their proven capabilities with the Envision technology platform will create a powerful option for manufacturers looking to efficiently bring new science and products to patients.”  

Meg Heim, Chief Executive Officer of Envision Pharma Group states, “We are so excited to have Rich join our team as we continue to accelerate Envision’s business expansion, mission, and commitment to our clients’ needs. Rich’s proven expertise will be critical in partnering with our clients to execute upon their goals, improve performance, and meet their unique business needs with the support of our technology platforms and strategic advisory expertise.”

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Envision Pharma Group (Envision) has appointed James “Jim” Streeter to the role of President of Technology, CTO and member of the Executive Leadership Team.

Jim is a global growth strategist, transformational change catalyst, and next-generation life sciences technology executive with over 20 years’ experience driving breakthrough strategies, products, and services for top pharmaceutical companies, CROs, biotech innovators, and healthcare organizations. 

Jim will lead Envision’s global technology-enabled commercialization strategy and vision and be responsible for delivering upon its technology and innovation goals. He will oversee the overall efficiency and effectiveness of technology operations/systems and accelerate the delivery of innovative solutions and platforms for enhancements and synergies across Envision to support clients across the globe.

Prior to joining Envision, Jim served as Global Vice President at Oracle Health Sciences where he was responsible for driving development of the eClinical platform, launching new functionalities, expanding APAC market adoption, and leading key aspects of M&A product due diligence. Before Oracle, Jim served in multiple executive director roles at Pharmaceutical Product Development (PPD), assuming full leadership over electronic data capture, IT systems development, IT business engagement and delivery, eClinical strategy, and innovation. 

Jim shares, “I am excited to be joining Envision at such an important time for the company and the life sciences industry. There is a clear opportunity for Envision’s award-winning technology and people to increase its value to our customers and to life sciences. I am looking forward to accelerating Envision’s value through technology and innovation and engaging with its people, customers, and partners.” 

Meg Heim, Chief Executive Officer of Envision Pharma Group shares, “I am so excited to welcome Jim to the Envision team as our new President of Technology, CTO. Jim’s expertise will contribute directly to our foundational technology focus while accelerating our vision as a technology-enabled commercialization partner to the life sciences industry. This new and expanded role is instrumental to the fulfillment of our business expansion, mission, and commitment to our vision of leveraging innovative technology to support our clients.” 

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