s we begin the new year, DIA launches a new Thought Catalyst Framework that builds on our longstanding work to progress innovation and efficiency, and adds new dimensions to drive content, in response to recent global “disruptions” that have altered the landscape of our ecosystem in significant ways.

fter a decade at the helm, DIA Global Chief Executive Barbara Lopez Kunz prepares to step into the next chapter of her career. She shared reflections on her DIA tenure with Global Forum Editor-in-Chief Alberto Grignolo.

AG: Beginning at the beginning, Barbara: where were you prior to joining DIA?

BLK: To truly begin at the beginning, as one of six siblings, I was raised to value health, education, hard work, and charity. These priorities have been intertwined in my personal and professional life. I’ve been very intentional about my career, ensuring that the hard work I would deliver had an important overarching purpose; that is, I have ensured a mission orientation in decisions I have made. I spent two-thirds of my career in multinational corporations—namely ICI, DuPont, Thermo Fisher Scientific—developing new drugs, laboratory products, medical devices, and I learned a huge amount.

nforcement of pediatric-specific regulations in both the United States and Europe since 2002 and 2007, respectively, has had a positive impact on pediatric drug development, with more medicines becoming available for children and more information on pediatric use becoming available to clinicians in the product information.

ocioeconomic inequalities in medical care access and affordability, large out-of-pocket expenses, and vulnerabilities against catastrophic household expenditures continue to be significant barriers to improving health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Based on 2020 World Bank Data, close to 85% of the world’s population (7.753 billion) resides in LMICs (6.52 billion), and nearly 40% do not have access to essential medicines.

n December 2021, the European Commission (EC) adopted the Regulation on Health Technology Assessment (EU HTA Regulation; No. 2021/2282). Its main objectives were to strengthen the quality of HTAs across the EU, ensure efficient use of resources, avoid duplication of industry and national HTA body efforts, and ensure long-term sustainability of EU HTA cooperation. The EU HTA Regulation formally entered into force on 11 January 2022 and will apply to Oncologic & Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMP) products after a three-year implementation period (i.e., 12 January 2025) in the first instance, followed by Orphan Medicinal Products (OMPs) in 2028, and all other Centrally Approved Medicines from 2030 onward.

lthough the importance of open innovation in drug research and development has long been recognized in Japan, it cannot be said that the open innovation ecosystem in Japan is functioning sufficiently when many issues remain problematic or unresolved in terms of systems, funding, and human resources compared to Europe, the US, and China. This situation was made even more evident by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our 2022 China Inspire Award Winners