Related News
Merck's go-to guy for drugs, projects in China
By Cai Wenjun |
November 4, 2012, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
Dr Michael Rosenblatt is Merck (known as MSD in China) pharmaceuticals go-to man on China projects and says his company is cooperating closely with China to develop drugs for chronic disease, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and prevention of cervical cancer.
He says China is becoming the "world's capital" of diabetes and is facing an epidemic of cardiovascular disease.
Rosenblatt is vice president and chief medical officer of US-based Merck & Co Inc. He is the company's voice on critical issues ensuring Merck maintains its commitment to patient safety and improving the health of the global community. He is the first person in this role for Merck, one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. The position is believed to be the first in any international pharmaceutical company.
Rosenblatt, appointed by Merck in 2009, was dean of Tufts University School of Medicine from 2003 and 2009. He taught medicine and management at Harvard Medical School and earlier was senior vice president for research at Merck Research Laboratories, where he co-led the worldwide development team for alendronate (Fosamax), Merck's biophosphonate for osteoporosis and bone disorders.
Rosenblatt is now engaged in Merck's efforts in China, including collaboration with academic medical centers in clinical research and medical education. Merck is investing US$1.5 billion in research and development in China over the next five years, and R&D headquarters in Beijing is expected to be operational by 2015.
He spoke to Shanghai Daily about his work during the Bio Convention in China on October 24 and 25 in Shanghai.
Q: What does a chief medical officer do?
A: I represent the independent voice of patients and the medical field inside Merck. I have no commercial responsibility and no responsibility to our products but report directly to the top leadership as a consultant from the viewpoint of a medical professional. My top job is patients' safety. I am also a bridge between the company and academic medicine. I suggest where our donated medicines and funding should go, especially to needy patients. My three focuses are patient needs, medicine and availability, and innovation.
There are many business opportunity in the world but when I say the opportunity is too risky for patients' safety or the company's reputation, the company listens to me.
Q: What do China and Chinese patients need from Merck?
A: The major medical burden has shifted from infectious diseases to non-contagious diseases like diabetes and hypertension due to the change of lifestyle. During this trip, I have talked to health authorities, academics and government officials to find out what is needed in China, which is becoming the capital of diabetes. Chinese patients need good, widely available medicines to treat chronic disease.
Q: What are your plans for the China market, especially in chronic disease treatment?
A: Our commitment to patients means we are committed to improving their lives. Certainly inventing high-quality, innovative medicines is at our core, but our responsibility doesn't end in the laboratory. Patient education and change of lifestyle are also important. By combining them with treatment, we can reduce chronic diseases. That's why we offer training to health care personnel, especially in rural areas - that's a top priority in China. There is also a need for health professionals to better understand preventing and managing disease.
We are partnering to donate and distribute thousands of Chinese translations of the Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy in 13 provinces, as part of nationwide training for community health care professionals. At Xiangya School of Medicine in Changsha, Hunan Province, with in-depth curriculum on the drug discovery process. The course is required in several top medical schools on several continents to get a medical degree.
We are building infrastructure and training doctors and nurses in collaboration with four partners: the Ministry of Health, Peking University, the China Medical Doctors Association, and the China National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases.
Q: Has MSD improved the availability of medicine in China?
A: We've improved access through pricing. MSD agreed to a 50 percent price reduction of Simvastatin (Zocor), a widely studied and used cholesterol-lowering medicine, so Chinese patients - who are facing an epidemic of cardiovascular disease - can access it at Essential Drug List pricing in China's social medical insurance system. MSD is the only multinational company in China today participating in the Essential Drug List formulary.
Q: Is there other cooperation?
A: The China-Merck AIDS Partnership. Ten years ago China was experiencing one of the world's most rapidly expanding HIV/AIDS epidemics. Beginning in 2005, MSD formed the China-Merck AIDS Partnership to support the government's Five-Year Action Plan to combat the epidemic. The China-Merck AIDS Partnership has grown into the largest public-private HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment partnership in history, linking around 1,600 organizations in the region.
It introduces new technologies to improve lab-testing capabilities, provides equipment and medical supplies, and develops health care services targeting pregnant women to help prevent mother-to-child transmission. This partnership covers 21 million people. We are in talks about extending the partnership for several more years.
Q: Will you introduce new medicines in the near future?
A: Several new medicines are coming soon, including a drug treating sleeping problems, a drug treating osteoporosis, another two new drugs for cardiovascular diseases, and one HPV vaccine for cervical cancer prevention.
He says China is becoming the "world's capital" of diabetes and is facing an epidemic of cardiovascular disease.
Rosenblatt is vice president and chief medical officer of US-based Merck & Co Inc. He is the company's voice on critical issues ensuring Merck maintains its commitment to patient safety and improving the health of the global community. He is the first person in this role for Merck, one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. The position is believed to be the first in any international pharmaceutical company.
Rosenblatt, appointed by Merck in 2009, was dean of Tufts University School of Medicine from 2003 and 2009. He taught medicine and management at Harvard Medical School and earlier was senior vice president for research at Merck Research Laboratories, where he co-led the worldwide development team for alendronate (Fosamax), Merck's biophosphonate for osteoporosis and bone disorders.
Rosenblatt is now engaged in Merck's efforts in China, including collaboration with academic medical centers in clinical research and medical education. Merck is investing US$1.5 billion in research and development in China over the next five years, and R&D headquarters in Beijing is expected to be operational by 2015.
He spoke to Shanghai Daily about his work during the Bio Convention in China on October 24 and 25 in Shanghai.
Q: What does a chief medical officer do?
A: I represent the independent voice of patients and the medical field inside Merck. I have no commercial responsibility and no responsibility to our products but report directly to the top leadership as a consultant from the viewpoint of a medical professional. My top job is patients' safety. I am also a bridge between the company and academic medicine. I suggest where our donated medicines and funding should go, especially to needy patients. My three focuses are patient needs, medicine and availability, and innovation.
There are many business opportunity in the world but when I say the opportunity is too risky for patients' safety or the company's reputation, the company listens to me.
Q: What do China and Chinese patients need from Merck?
A: The major medical burden has shifted from infectious diseases to non-contagious diseases like diabetes and hypertension due to the change of lifestyle. During this trip, I have talked to health authorities, academics and government officials to find out what is needed in China, which is becoming the capital of diabetes. Chinese patients need good, widely available medicines to treat chronic disease.
Q: What are your plans for the China market, especially in chronic disease treatment?
A: Our commitment to patients means we are committed to improving their lives. Certainly inventing high-quality, innovative medicines is at our core, but our responsibility doesn't end in the laboratory. Patient education and change of lifestyle are also important. By combining them with treatment, we can reduce chronic diseases. That's why we offer training to health care personnel, especially in rural areas - that's a top priority in China. There is also a need for health professionals to better understand preventing and managing disease.
We are partnering to donate and distribute thousands of Chinese translations of the Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy in 13 provinces, as part of nationwide training for community health care professionals. At Xiangya School of Medicine in Changsha, Hunan Province, with in-depth curriculum on the drug discovery process. The course is required in several top medical schools on several continents to get a medical degree.
We are building infrastructure and training doctors and nurses in collaboration with four partners: the Ministry of Health, Peking University, the China Medical Doctors Association, and the China National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases.
Q: Has MSD improved the availability of medicine in China?
A: We've improved access through pricing. MSD agreed to a 50 percent price reduction of Simvastatin (Zocor), a widely studied and used cholesterol-lowering medicine, so Chinese patients - who are facing an epidemic of cardiovascular disease - can access it at Essential Drug List pricing in China's social medical insurance system. MSD is the only multinational company in China today participating in the Essential Drug List formulary.
Q: Is there other cooperation?
A: The China-Merck AIDS Partnership. Ten years ago China was experiencing one of the world's most rapidly expanding HIV/AIDS epidemics. Beginning in 2005, MSD formed the China-Merck AIDS Partnership to support the government's Five-Year Action Plan to combat the epidemic. The China-Merck AIDS Partnership has grown into the largest public-private HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment partnership in history, linking around 1,600 organizations in the region.
It introduces new technologies to improve lab-testing capabilities, provides equipment and medical supplies, and develops health care services targeting pregnant women to help prevent mother-to-child transmission. This partnership covers 21 million people. We are in talks about extending the partnership for several more years.
Q: Will you introduce new medicines in the near future?
A: Several new medicines are coming soon, including a drug treating sleeping problems, a drug treating osteoporosis, another two new drugs for cardiovascular diseases, and one HPV vaccine for cervical cancer prevention.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
