Read the Conversation
EF: Could you elaborate on Recordati’s operations in Mexico and your current priorities for 2024?
AZ: Recordati Mexico was established in 2016 and built on two sizable products for rare conditions. Unlike Rare Diseases' traditional focus on patient-by-patient operations, the Mexico business was initially based on large national tenders.
Since assuming the role of General Manager, we have conducted a company-wide revamp. Since 2022, we have been expanding at an annual rate of 55%. We have strengthened and redesigned our client-facing capabilities and sales force, focusing on account managers and medical liaisons and enhancing our overall “patient centricity.”
One major contributor to our growth in the field of rare diseases, especially for conditions not covered under national tenders, is our focus on medical education. Training medical professionals to ensure timely diagnosis and adequate patient care is crucial, as patients may require complex treatments such as infusion, radiation, or chemotherapy. Rare diseases most times are not simply cured with medication and often require lifelong adherence. Finding the patient and getting a diagnosis is just one challenge; awareness is essential for building a support system around the patient and managing the disease effectively.
In Mexico, we initiated an ongoing medical education program promoting an understanding of rare illnesses. First responders, who frequently cross paths with patients with rare diseases in emergency rooms, may lack knowledge of these conditions. For example, they may come across patients with porphyria, a rare illness primarily affecting women, presenting symptoms like acute abdominal pain and falsely linking it to hormonal changes. By targeting the first responders, we can increase diagnostic capabilities and quickly get more patients into full-on, comprehensive treatment.
To further strengthen the support for medical education, Recordati is collaborating with different associations to bring rare diseases to nationwide awareness and cooperate with the national health authorities to increase the funding of the field.
EF: How does Recordati ensure that rare disease treatments are affordable for all patients once identified?
AZ: Cost in the rare diseases business will always be an issue. Research is expensive, and the prices of new medications are higher than those of primary care in general.
However, if we consider the amount of resources spent by patients managing symptoms rather than receiving a complete diagnosis, which often leads to emergency room visits or ICU, stabilizing a patient through diagnosis and proper treatment ensures predictability and frees up hospital resources in the long run. Advocating for these patients, particularly those of working age or young adults constrained by these illnesses, can demonstrate how proper treatment reduces the financial burden on Healthcare and Social Security.
EF: What distinguishes Recordati as a leader in rare diseases, and what guidance would you offer to other companies attempting to build value-based portfolios?
AZ: Big Pharma companies have played major roles in managing ailments of the 20th that killed many (i.e., acute infectious). In the past, these organizations were focused heavily on the drugs and their mechanism of action. Meanwhile, smaller, nimbler companies like Recordati need to be focused on the entire patient ecosystem. Rare disease companies have more to offer more than just a pill.
If doctors are not trained to monitor patients regularly and track biomarkers, it will be hard to monitor their progress, satisfaction, and return to “normal life.” Comprehensive and custom-made solutions will always be more impactful than just supplying drugs.
EF: Could you elaborate on your current portfolio and the support systems you have established with medical professionals?
AZ: We are mainly focused on rare metabolic conditions. This includes cystinosis, organic acidemias, porphyria, and homocystinuria. Our number one patients in the metabolic space are infants. Born with these diseases, these children suffer from a variety of ailments, such as frequent urination or improper bone development.
Time is of the essence, as early diagnosis and treatment may allow a better life quality, especially for young patients. We work with pediatricians to educate them and identify patients for rare disease evaluations. If a patient has a group of symptoms, it is imperative to take immediate action.
In the field of oncology, we are preparing to work in the field of neuroblastoma. Pediatric oncology has been heavily politicized in Mexico due to supply issues in the past. Fortunately, the authorities are now addressing this issue.
Recordati is stating its presence in the field, showing that we can treat people with such severe, life-threatening conditions as neuroblastoma. Our medication is effective in treating numerous patients worldwide. Our goal is to raise awareness that treatments are available with early diagnosis.
EF: How can Mexico play a role in the future of innovation in the field of rare diseases?
AZ: In Mexico, certain rare diseases lack biomarker scanning. We collaborate with private entities, institutions, and universities to develop new ways to suffice this need. It is a significant step for Mexico as it eliminates the need for patients to travel abroad for these tests.
We are starting to understand artificial intelligence in a more predictable way to detect new patients. By analyzing epidemiological data, we can predict, to an extent, the number of patients expected in a country like Mexico. Early identification is possible for the most severely affected patients, typically found in large hospitals. However, detecting the next wave of cases is more challenging as they often arise in difficult-to-reach areas, and are in the early stages of the illness.
To identify patients earlier, we are working on algorithms that allow us to identify geographical areas, that could need further screening due to higher symptom rates. This targeted approach aims to reach patients sooner, preventing late entry into the healthcare system
EF: How are you attracting talent, and what skills does your organization require?
AZ: Today, Recordati Rare Diseases Mexico has restructured to boost efficiency and increase its geographical footprint. Thanks to our strong management, we have welcomed a lot of new talent and built a team that works as a finely tuned machine. While in a large company, it is like being on an aircraft carrier, and one missing sailor may go unnoticed, in a smaller company, it is akin to a volleyball team where one player’s absence is immediately noticeable. Therefore, at our company, everybody must give their 100%. The same applies to the general manager. Commitment is our greatest value.
