It is my priority that patients receive innovative treatments in time, says Mehrdad Doustdar
The people of the Czech Republic deserve to have access, if seriously ill, to innovative medicines as quickly as patients in Germany or Austria, says Mehrdad Doustdar, the new Managing Director of the Czech branch of MSD (Merck, Sharp & Dohme s.r.o.) as of 1 November 2023. And the fact that he really means what he says and is committed to do something about it, not only within his parent company, is documented by one somewhat unbelievable stunt – already in December he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Czech Association of Innovative Pharmaceutical Industry (AIFP).
How is it possible that just a few weeks after coming to Prague, you were elected to the board of directors of a local association that brings together 35 other companies located in the Czech Republic that develop and sell innovative medicines?
It’s a great achievement for the whole team. Although MSD is one of the largest players in the innovative pharmaceutical industry in the Czech Republic, before this January the company was not present at the AIFP Board of Directors and had therefore only a limited influence on where the innovative industry in the Czech Republic was heading. When I came to Prague in the autumn, the December elections to the Board of Directors for the next two years came up and we decided to go for it. But we had to prepare our vision and strategy thoroughly. I had to convince my colleagues from other pharmaceutical companies that, although I was a newcomer, thanks to my many years of work at MSD in various positions in a number of countries and with the support of my home team, I could bring new ideas.
And so what vision did you bring?
It has three pillars that have a major impact on the primary goal of all of us at AIFP, i.e. to ensure that patients have access to the most modern treatment in a timely manner. The first is to ensure a policy and regulatory environment that will enable rapid, broad and, I underline, sustainable access of Czech patients to innovative treatment. The second pillar is of a similar nature but lies at the EU level. A debate is underway in Brussels on a comprehensive reform of the already outdated legal framework for pharmaceutical legislation, which will affect the life cycle of medicines and their movement on the EU internal market for decades to come. As part of the third pillar, we focus on activities that will support the efficiency and financial sustainability of the Czech healthcare system.
Prevention must also play a greater role. Life expectancy in the Czech Republic is rising but almost 20 years of this life are spent in illness. A life in good health ends three to four years before official retirement age. For both employers and the state, this means that, on average, older and sicker people will work for them if nothing changes. But we need them healthy. Therefore, employers must appeal to the government to pay more attention to prevention and treatment options and to promote employee health benefits as an integral part of it. We are now facing more administrative demands.
Where is the role of MSD in this?
We can share our experience as an employer who employs around 1,600 people in the Czech Republic, across our different divisions. We offer a wide range of health benefits, including support for the use of premium health services, support for physical activities and vaccinations. As a manufacturer of vaccines that play a key role in prevention, we are active in raising awareness and disseminating information about the benefits of vaccination. We can offer vaccines to employers for their prevention programs, and we present data to the professional public on how increasing vaccination coverage saves the system money for treatment.
Can you give a specific example?
Sure. Just to give you a small example. We see that a health-economic models shows that by increasing the vaccination rate of the Czech population with the 9-valent vaccine against the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is responsible for several cancers or unpleasant genital warts, it is possible to significantly increase the years of life in full health. This reduces the costs not only of the health system, but also of the social system, as patients and their caregivers remain in the workforce longer. For example, the model shows that achieving a vaccination rate of 90% would mean eight times lower indirect costs for women and nine times lower indirect costs for men. Health insurance companies now cover vaccination against HPV infection for children in their 11 up to 14 years (i.e.till 15th birthday), when vaccination is most important. However, the model shows that it is also worthwhile to pay for vaccination for older adolescents and young adults, where the vaccine still shows high effectiveness. However, it makes sense to get vaccinated against HPV infection even in adulthood. Up to 80% of the population will encounter this virus in their lifetime!
In addition to prevention and vaccination, MSD is also active in the field of oncology.
We are strong especially in the immuno-oncology, our medicines have improved and saved lives of many patients in the Czech Republic. However, our portfolio also includes products from other therapeutic areas such as HIV/AIDS, antivirals, diabetes or vaccines against pneumococcal infections. And our current research and development, in which we annually invest around $13 billion globally, is even broader, for example, in cardiovascular or neurodegenerative diseases.
And finally, a question of a more personal nature – what actually brought you to Prague?
I am really happy and extremely fortunate to have this opportunity to work and live in the Czech Republic. I have been following the Czech Republic for a long time, I like the incredible progress it has made since the revolution in 1989. Healthcare is at a very good level, but there is still a lot of catching up to do in terms of health and quality of life of the population, as I have already mentioned. And I would like to help and personally contribute to the health and future of the country.
