G. Tousimis (Amgen Greece-Cyprus): At the moment we are conducting 29 clinical studies in Greece – Immediate reforms to break the impasse
Champion of honesty and cooperation, in order to achieve a common goal, the general manager of Amgen Greece and Cyprus, George Tousimis, is a dynamic personality, with an opinion on what is happening in the Pharmaceutical field.
With investments of 5.5 million euros in research and, but also with 300,000 euros in patient support programs, Amgen Greece is clearly focused on innovation, facing the challenges of the time.
And, as Mr. Tousimis told us in the interview he granted, the company is currently conducting 29 clinical studies in our country.
-Mr. Tusimi, tell us a few things about her Amgen.
-Amgen is one of the largest biotechnology companies in the world, headquartered in California, USA and present in more than 100 countries worldwide. It was founded only in 1980 and tries, through a deep understanding of biology and technology, to offer innovative and radical solutions to patients with serious diseases.
We are proud of our heritage as a pioneering biotechnology company. We are committed to our mission of serving patients, embracing the values of innovation, teamwork and diversity, while operating with integrity and social sensitivity in everything we do. And all of this makes Amgen a great place to work.
-Who is Amgen in GREECE;
-Amgen has been active in our country since 2007, hoping to provide solutions to the problems faced by patients with serious diseases. We offer pioneering solutions in areas with limited treatment options, such as lung cancer, multiple myeloma and colon cancer.
At the same time, we improve the quality of life of many patients with chronic diseases, such as hypercholesterolemia, osteoporosis, kidney failure and rheumatoid arthritis, by managing to fundamentally change the way these diseases are treated. More than 140,000 patients are currently receiving treatment in Greece with our company’s products.
In the 15 years of our presence in Greece, we have continuously given more and more importance to clinical research and to the promotion of our country as a key hub for clinical studies.
We firmly believe in the quality of Greek Hospitals/Research Centers, as well as in the value of Greek doctors. We are currently conducting 29 clinical studies of great scientific value in Greece, in which 220 research centers participate, offering patients who have direct access to highly advanced treatments for serious diseases.
Our success is based on our people and how we work together to support the needs of patients and society. We are proud of the double recognition of our efforts in 2022, as one of the top 10 employers in Greece by the Great Place to Work institute, but also as one of the 10 most admired companies in Greece, according to Fortune Magazine and KPMG.
-What is your opinion about the Greek health system?
– The health system of Greece has managed to offer valuable services to the entire population of the country for years. And through this system we managed to bring all our treatments to Greek patients.
But it is a system, which was based on the requirements and the previous time periods. In order to continue to be able to serve the citizens of the country decently and at the same time be economically viable, it must be upgraded and developed, in order to deal with the pathologies that have developed over the years.
Today, more than ever, the following is evident:
- Its lack of adequate funding at levels lower as a percentage of its GDP than any other country in the EU. Medicine funding in Greece is still at 2014 levels.
- The impossibility of controlling consumption and simultaneously assessing the needs of the population, despite the large amount of data produced by the universal use of the electronic prescription system.
- The demonization of innovative treatments as “bad”, driving the rise in pharmaceutical expenditure, overlooking their contribution to the dramatic improvement in health and life expectancy of modern society and imposing mandatory rebates and refunds of 70%.
We are now, unfortunately, leading to a dead end, at least for the companies that are at the cutting edge of pharmaceutical research and developing innovative products. To avoid this, immediate and substantial reforms are needed, focusing on the added value of each new treatment for the patient.
And in this we are willing to contribute with all our powers. Because the sustainability of the system must be based above all on the cooperation of all parties involved, as in this game there are no winners and losers.
-What you see is not the future of the health system and what will be its role Amgen in this;
-Amgen is fortunate, as it operates in many countries around the world, to have gathered a lot of experience, which can be useful in the Greek Health System, as:
- We are among the leading companies in the field of personalized treatments and the use of cutting-edge technologies for the benefit of the patient.
- knowledge of all health system systems in which they operate and of those practices that could be useful in our own health system.
- We firmly believe in the very high value of the Greek Scientific and Research potential and we try to do despite the adversities to increase clinical research in our country.
Above all, we are in the mood for open collaboration with all the actors involved, in order to succeed in having the health system we deserve.
-On a personal level, what inspires you and what fills you with energy?
– I am a character by nature, who believes in the value of mutual trust, honesty and cooperation for the implementation of a common goal. I like to give space and time to my colleagues to think creatively, to dare to try new ideas, without the fear of failure and, in the end, to find the same solutions to the problems that patients with serious diseases face in their daily lives . .
I feel extremely proud and motivated when this effort is recognized by those around us and people, who do not work for us, express themselves in the best words about Amgen Hellas.
Read also:
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