Listening to the Voice of the Patient to Facilitate Earlier Access to Promising Medicines: Interview with Sjaak Vink

Abstract

The discussion with Sjaak Vink provides a fascinating account of what can be accomplished when the industry gears itself properly to work more closely with the patients or the nongovernmental organization (NGO) representing them. The insights are particularly relevant not only to the management of clinical development but also to the global corporate governance as they address the need to evolve management practices, towards a long-term strategic orientation, openness to real-world data, and responsiveness to societal pressure. The industry will need to flex its procedures, to open up to broader collaborative approaches, and to foster a company-wide orientation towards innovation.