Read the Conversation
EF: What are the key priorities in your agenda? What can we expect from Organon Spain in 2024?
JV: There are two primary goals. The first is that we must keep strengthening the Organon brand. There are two perspectives on this: the internal and external. From an internal standpoint, we must continue to operate at Organon's present level of employee engagement and alignment. Externally, we must continue to pursue our goals and establish Organon as a leader in the field of gender equity in the health area.
We are concentrating on chronic pathologies that impact women disproportionately or in a different way than men. Numerous scientific studies have demonstrated that, even in cases with identical pathology, the symptoms, cause of the disease, and response to treatment vary in women. Despite an abundance of scientific evidence, clinical practice has not adopted this. Improving women's health is one significant way that our organization can contribute to society. We brought attention to these problems in 2022 and 2023, and now it's time to provide solutions in the form of papers, consensus, protocols, and treatment algorithms that take this distinction into account.
Second, we want to advance the company’s operations. We have been able to steadily expand the portfolio we already have. We are planning a few launches, so 2024 will be great. We recently relaunched a menopausal product in December 2023. We will release two ground-breaking migraine products in the first half of 2024 and an innovative device for post-partum hemorrhage in the second half. We are in the middle of an opportunity-filled year of transformation.
EF: What were the most important lessons learned during that period of transition after spinning off the Spanish subsidiary amid such uncertain times?
JV: We could say we were fortunate that launching Organon in the midst of the pandemic required us to make many changes and disturb many established practices. This has impacted the company's culture and the way we collaborate with one another. A flexible work policy was one of the things we utilized to implement throughout the pandemic. The company was founded at a time when we could implement a flexible work schedule. We didn't change anything when things began to return to normal since we realized it was better for us that way. It has become a part of the organization's culture.
Even though it was difficult, overcoming the obstacles together strengthened our bonds as a team and strengthened our position inside the company. Because of the pandemic and other factors, the majority of the shift occurred more quickly, which is why I say that we were fortunate somehow.
EF: What is your pitch to attract resources from headquarters? How would you characterize the Spanish market's strategic significance?
JV: It is my job to prove that a dollar invested in Spain is more valuable than a dollar invested elsewhere. Spain is the largest market in EUCAN and 4th globally. Spain possesses a strong portfolio of established brands. In Spain, the dynamics are different with established brands than in other markets. In order to remain part of the National Health System, original brands must save the healthcare system just as much as generics. This implies that our prices must match those of the generics with a significant price reduction, which makes it impossible for you to compete on price. What we offer is quality products, added value projects, and a complete commitment to the improvement of the health of women.
Spain is a nation that takes women's equality policies very seriously. The Spanish government even has a ministry devoted to gender equity. We are bringing to the Ministry of Health and other local health authorities and health care practitioners organizations a new way of understanding health with a gender equity perspective. It was discovered that health has a significant role in gender equity, and that’s why we are pushing for a new way of looking at the health of women. These are some of the elements that have helped us do well in Spain.
EF: Organon partners with several stakeholders within the Spanish ecosystem. What impact do these initiatives have?
JV: These partnerships are essential to us. They enable us to effectively carry out our purpose of improving the lives of women. Investments in women's pathologies-specific research and development are lacking, and patient journeys need to be modified. The partnerships assist us in resolving these problems. One aspect of the collaboration is working with universities to ensure that these challenges are addressed while healthcare professionals are still undergoing education. In order to promote public policies that assist this process, we must collaborate with payers. For instance, when a clinical trial is funded by the government, it should be guaranteed that 50% of the participants are female, or the percentage equivalent to the proportion of women who suffer from the disease that is studied. We must advocate for such kinds of policies.
Since scientific societies create guidelines on pathologies, we must collaborate with them. Guidelines for gender-specific questions to ask men and women are needed. In Spain, there are over 20,000 retail pharmacies, so we also need to collaborate with them. In Spain, women make up about 70% of those working behind the counter at retail pharmacies. Women make up most of the customers in retail pharmacies, and most of the time, they are there to pick up medication for a family member rather than for themselves. We must also work together with doctors to inform them about the ways that gender affects the patient experience. Women themselves need to be made aware of the distinctions between their health journeys and those of males. Men and women experience different heart-stroke symptoms, for example. As a result, it is imperative to educate the entire ecosystem.
One example is our collaboration with the Scientific Society for Oncology (SEOM). We have been able to collaborate with them because we offer an alternative viewpoint. They now consider how sex and gender affect the pathology of oncology. We are continuing our investigation into how this influences clinical practice after doing meta-analysis work with them, which was supported by scientific data. These are but a few instances in which we are aware that we cannot function alone and that we must collaborate with the entire ecosystem. We have discovered that these relationships are typically open because of the societal sensitivities around these subjects.
EF: What strategies does Organon employ in such a competitive ecosystem to attract and retain talent?
JV: We are able to attract and retain talent because of our mission and culture. A company needs to represent the society in which it operates. A complex society should reflect that in the organization as well. Diversity has always been important to who we are. For example, women make up 62% of our workforce and 57% of the management level as well. Women are 50% of the executive committee. Diversity extends beyond gender and includes age and other factors. We are striking a balance in our hiring, with 15% of new workers being over 50 years old. We require both senior and younger expertise.
The completely flexible work schedule, which allows employees to work both in the office and from home, is another consideration. During the pandemic, we had no choice but to begin in that manner. We chose to continue since it worked, and people were producing results. We also listen to our staff as part of our culture. Each year, we evaluate the initiatives that are and are not succeeding. Following that, an action plan is created, which employees develop. Regarding this, we communicate and are very transparent. In the last two years, employee resource groups (ERGs) have also expanded.
Approximately 40% of our workforce is part of one of our four active ERGs. The Women's Network is one initiative that promotes diversity, as is the Pride Network. Also, we have the Next Generations Group and the Families Group, which organizes Christmas parties with our kids, and employees' children practice for job interviews. This is the ideal moment to determine the company's culture, as once established, it will be difficult to modify. This is a testament to our ability to retain employees.
EF: What three pillars would you include to help Spain achieve a prosperous and sustainable healthcare system and improve the health of women if you had to design your own roadmap?
JV: First and foremost, when fulfilling our purpose, we must begin to notice changes. Our goal is to transform the management of health for women in every one of its aspects and dimensions. Added to our well-known, established brands, we will be launching three new products this year alone, and within the next five years, we plan to release more new products, like a product on endometriosis and a non-hormonal contraception method. Calling for action to alter clinical practice involves doing things differently rather than with additional funding. Women make up over half of the population; therefore, this has a direct effect on them.
We must contribute back to the community. For example, at our ESG strategy, we are working on a project called Her Promise with two sizable NGOs; one focuses on family planning education, and the other on preserving fertility in cancer patients. Within the next three years, we aim to reduce our carbon footprint to support the transition to a low-carbon economy, with an ambition to achieve net zero GHG emissions in our operations and through our supply chain. These are just a few examples of our initiatives.
EF: Do you have any last words you would like to impart to our readers?
JV: My final message would be our purpose, which is to enhance the health of women by increasing funding, research, and awareness of the disparities in health between men and women. The entire healthcare ecosystem must take these variances into account. To that end, adjustments must be made across the ecosystem. More than 50% of the population is directly impacted, which makes it important and deserves attention.
