Read the Conversation
EF: What attracted you to Roche 25 years ago, and what has kept you there all these years?
LS: I'm a pharmacist with a deep passion for healthcare. I love our OMS statement about health being physical, mental, psychological, and social well-being. This concept is central to me. When I joined Roche, I was excited to influence the healthcare system. Roche's innovation is a major draw for me. Innovation at Roche means curiosity and always finding new ways to do things, not just developing new molecules. I am naturally curious, which keeps me engaged and excited about our work. The second aspect that attracted me was Roche's sense of community. We focus on patients and the communities we serve. A statement that resonates with me is that good business leaves a positive legacy. It's about providing patients access and improving society. After almost 25 years here, I still can be myself at work. I bring my curiosity and questions daily, feeling respected and enthusiastic about our impact on healthcare.
EF: Do you think your background as a pharmacist gave you any advantage in your career progression, or was it a big game-changer for your abilities at Roche?
LS: Yes, my degree is about my passion for healthcare, which is the foundation of everything. No woman can be empowered without first being healthy. Empowerment begins with health. My degree, the company I work for, and my environment all focus on health. We care about people and aim to improve their lives by keeping them healthy and ensuring they receive swift treatment when they fall ill.
EF: As a pharmacist, if you could relate to one pharmaceutical, which one do you think it would be and why? Which medicine would represent you as a professional person?
LS: A pharmaceutical that truly represents me and keeps us safe is vaccines. Take the HPV vaccine, for example. It's commonly associated with cervical cancer, but it protects against seven different types of cancer. To me, it's the first cancer vaccine. Vaccines have greatly improved our quality of life. Imagine a child avoiding a lifelong health issue that would affect their entire life, including family and societal acceptance. For me, vaccines symbolize health and transformation. Key medical moments, like the introduction of treated water, disinfectants, penicillin, and antibiotics, have fundamentally changed everything. Vaccines are part of that legacy.
EF: From a general 2024 outlook, what is the state of business in Roche? How is your performance? Is access increasing, and what are your main priorities for this year?
LS: Our business is growing rapidly, achieving double-digit growth, making this a very strong and exciting year for us. Our success comes from innovation, providing transformative solutions to people without options. For example, Vabysmo, launched last year and performing strongly this year, treats diabetic macular edema. Besides diabetes, age-related degeneration, it is also a factor as important as in macular disease. Roche offers a very effective treatment with Vabysmo, which requires less frequent injections, improving patient adherence.
Another innovation is satralizumab for Neuromyelitis Optica, a neurodegenerative disease causing irreversible vision and mobility loss. Loss of vision or mobility can occur suddenly and without warning after a single episode. This treatment reduces the frequency of devastating events and provides a much-needed option, especially for underrepresented populations like Afro-descendants in Brazil. We also launched polatuzumab for lymphoma, offering new treatment options. Additionally, our new breast cancer treatment combines two existing molecules, reducing administration time from 120 minutes intravenously to 20 minutes subcutaneously. Subcutaneous administration also has the potential to enable decentralized care, allowing patients to receive treatment closer to home without spending an entire day at a cancer center.
These innovations drive our growth and improve patients' quality of life, showcasing the most exciting aspect of our work, discovering new molecules and finding better ways to deliver care. There are many unseen numbers; the hours spent travelling for treatment, the costs, and whether a caregiver is available. When discussing treatments, we often focus on the tumour and its benefits but forget the person behind it. A patient has fears, gets tired, may lack money, and might have children or other responsibilities. We need to consider that the patient is not just a patient but a person. The word patient sometimes obscures the human being behind it, and we need to remember that as much as possible.
EF: Can you outline what diversification treatments we can expect in Brazil in the coming years? Can we expect to see any new initiatives for the latest weight-loss treatment?
LS: First, it's important to highlight that Roche is deeply committed to addressing diseases that burden society and those that currently lack treatments, such as orphan diseases. We remain committed to innovations that address local issues in Brazil. For example, we are targeting Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO), which affects mainly Afro-descendants, male Caucasians, and women. Additionally, we expect approval this year for a treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a genetic condition in boys that leads to severe muscle deterioration due to a lack of protein production. This condition, among others, often results in early death due to heart or lung failure.
Roche's new treatment, our first gene therapy, involves a single dose to repair the gene. While the long-term effects are still being studied, initial results show boys remaining stronger for longer, potentially transforming their quality of life. This advancement gives hope to families, especially mothers, who often feel guilty about passing on this genetic condition. We are excited to bring this therapy to Brazil and are hopeful for its approval this year. We also have another treatment called BNH, which addresses one of the causes of thrombosis, a significant health burden. Current solutions are inadequate, so we plan to launch this treatment in Brazil by the end of this year or early next year.
Another major upcoming launch is a new treatment indication for the molecule alectinib, which is already approved in the country for metastatic-stage lung cancer. This treatment has shown remarkable results, bringing us closer to curing specific types of lung cancer. Lung cancer remains a major burden, and while smoking is a cause, it's not the only one. Alectinib is a transforming treatment and offering real hope for patients, potentially leading to a cure. Working in this field is both challenging and rewarding. Hearing patients' stories and knowing we can help them is an amazing feeling and a huge responsibility. We can't afford to rest because someone out there is waiting for a treatment that could transform their life.
EF: How would you rate the acceptance of innovative technologies in Brazil, such as Roche's glucose monitoring using AI? Do you have any message for physicians that would help them understand the importance of adapting new technologies and therapies?
LS: When we doubt, we must push forward and keep evolving. We are in a privileged position to fight for those without knowledge, access, or a voice. We can discuss the flaws in the healthcare system, the lack of funding, and the challenges of serving a large population. However, our GDPs are growing, we produce more, and we have access to advanced technologies. The key issue is that we often try to solve today's problems with yesterday's solutions. We must embrace innovation, including artificial intelligence, to truly advance. By leveraging digital tools, we can achieve greater efficiency and treat more people. Fear of costs and resistance to change hinder us. For example, gene therapy, tailored to individuals, offers lifelong benefits and could significantly reduce long-term healthcare costs.
Our hesitation often stems from a lack of understanding and fear of the unknown. Traditional business models based on price and volume need to be updated. A gene therapy shot, guaranteed for ten years, requires a new financing approach, perhaps a monthly fee over a decade. This shift acknowledges the long-term impact of treatments rather than just the initial cost. We need to think differently and use AI and technology to improve healthcare. For instance, having a digital health card accessible worldwide via a QR code could save costs and improve emergency care. The healthcare system isn't broken; it's lacking efficiency and innovation. Embracing new ideas and technologies can transform it.
EF: If we invest in the right areas today and things go well, what prediction do you see to make these investments more valuable in the future? What needs to be changed? What do you think will change?
LS: I truly believe in what I do, which keeps me going. If I ever stop believing, I won't be here anymore. It's pointless to wake up every morning to do something you don't believe in. We are moving towards being patient and human-centric in our decisions. The availability of information empowers each of us. When we're sick, we can research and learn about our condition. The digital revolution is irreversible. Although the Internet started decades ago, we are now on the brink of a digital transformation. Information and data will become increasingly accessible, empowering people to make informed choices about their health. Thirty or forty years ago, doctors were seen as faultless with control over our bodies. Today, that dynamic has changed. People are more empowered and can make educated decisions about their health. I'm optimistic that people, when informed, generally make good choices.
The digital revolution and advancements in science, like gene therapy, promise a future where we can address genetic susceptibility to diseases such as cancer, diabetes, or obesity. Imagine gene therapy becoming as routine as vaccinations, where you can adjust your genes for a healthier life. Science is ready to bring these innovations, but the challenge lies in political will and public acceptance. I'm positive about the future, but we, as human beings, are both the driving force and the potential obstacle to these advancements. We must embrace the digital revolution, trust in the power of science, ensure freedom of information and data, and empower proactive individuals. This is the future I envision.
EF: Given your 25 years of experience in Roche and the industry, do you have a final message for new executives or future generations of executives in pharma, especially women?
LS: I could talk about women, maternity, kids, and life choices, but my core message remains the same. As women, we should never doubt ourselves. We can do everything we set our minds to; be mothers, professionals, friends, married, single, or anything else. We have no single role, and we must believe in our abilities. I always tell my daughter that, as women, we have a long road ahead of us in reparation. As a single mother, I've experienced this firsthand. Every day, we stand for a cause because we honour the women who came before us and respect others by educating society, including men, about our experiences. The message is simple: never doubt yourself. We can do anything and have all the options like everyone else. There is no room for doubt.
