17th annual eyeforpharma Philadelphia (Commercial, Digital and Patients)

Apr 16, 2019 - Apr 17, 2019, Philadelphia

800+ pharma leaders join together to discuss how to revolutionize the patient experience – and, accordingly, their commercial performance.

A Win-Win Situation

Teresa Ferreiro and Catalina Cernica both take home the prestigious Patient Champion award



The judges at eyeforpharma’s annual awards ceremony in Barcelona broke with convention on Tuesday by recognising both Teresa Ferreiro and Catalina Cernica for their unwavering commitment to improving the lives of patients. The shared acknowledgment also had a symbolic significance; Ferreiro brings the patient perspective while Cernica is a pharma executive.

The winner of the Patient Champion award will have a proven track record of raising the profile of patients; helping to instigate change and influencing others to rally around the patient cause.

The expert panel of judges — comprising patients, patient advocates, healthcare professionals and senior pharma executives — decided both Ferreiro and Cernica were equally deserving of the accolade.

Ferreiro is a patient advocate, professional coach, trainer, speaker and founder of Baby Beatles. She has made it her mission to support women with the resources and support they need to face breast cancer. This includes helping them to pursue motherhood.

The fruits of her efforts are plain to see. She has written an internationally recognised book, and founded Baby Beatles, an organisation that offers information and financial help to women in this situation. She also advocates for POSITIVE trial, a study evaluating Pregnancy, disease Outcome and Safety of Interrupting endocrine Therapy for premenopausal women with endocrine-responsive breast cancer who desire pregnancy. 

Remarking on her win, Ferreiro said, “It feels like a dream come true. A new step in this amazing journey I am walking.  This award will help leverage the message that I am taking to the world. I think it will help so many women get back their hopes.”

Reflecting on the outcome, the judges praised Ferreiro for her courage and determination.  

Cernica has helped pioneer a new approach to understanding the patient experience. She led an innovation in how patients with psoriasis are understood — moving from the classic health related measures (disease) to happiness related measures (life).  And she did this on scale, representing over 200,000 patients across 184 countries.

For the last 2 years, Catalina Cernica headed up PsoHappy, the Psoriasis Happiness Studies team in LEO Innovation Lab.  Her team uses an innovative digital survey platform to give patients with psoriasis a voice by asking what is important to them.  They work closely with the Happiness Research Institute to benchmark findings against the United Nations Happiness Report and publish the findings in a report that is used by stakeholders around the globe to push the psoriasis well-being agenda.  

Commenting on Cernica’s win, the Judges said, “Amazing. This work has the potential to transform how we measure impact. So powerful.”

Narrowly missing out on the top spot was Scott Williams, a bonafide trailblazer in the patient advocacy space. Williams has devoted his life to advancing the cause of patients. His unwavering commitment has seen him establish the first-ever patient advocacy function with Merck, where he actively incorporates the patient voice throughout the drug development continuum.

You can find out about our upcoming North American awards here

 

 



17th annual eyeforpharma Philadelphia (Commercial, Digital and Patients)

Apr 16, 2019 - Apr 17, 2019, Philadelphia

800+ pharma leaders join together to discuss how to revolutionize the patient experience – and, accordingly, their commercial performance.