13 - Smart People: Martin Lush

What is your background and current role?
I’ve been working in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry for four decades, starting as a bacteriologist in the NHS. I spent 15 years in international consultancy and have experience in the manufacture, quality assurance and testing of aseptic products as a Qualified Person. As a long-standing chartered biologist and a Fellow of the Institute of Medical Sciences, my interest in antimicrobial resistance and its control continues to this day.

To prosper in an uncertain world, companies need a pipeline of ‘transformational’ leaders. So I enjoy educating, coaching and mentoring at every level, from the C-suite to the shop floor.

I specialise in the sustainable modernisation of manufacturing, quality systems, plus healthcare policy and its provision.

What does your day-to-day job involve?
I’m responsible for the long-term growth of our global businesses in clinical research, pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, medical devices and in vitro diagnostics. A big part of my role is anticipating the future of healthcare, from clinical trials to regulation and product certification, so we can provide the most valuable service to clients.

What opportunities and challenges has COVID-19 created that are disrupting the pharma market?
The world has never been more volatile. However, a few things remain certain. Perhaps the most significant is that affordable, sustainable healthcare will be the number one political priority for decades to come, and our industry must play its part. The key to success will be simultaneously juggling short- and long-term challenges. Issues around supply chain disruption will continue to dominate the conversation, as well as the shift to new remote working practices.

In the long term, making pharma sustainable is crucial. It currently produces 13% more carbon emissions than the automotive industry and this cannot continue.
Companies must invest in emerging technologies, such as robotics and automation, to alleviate supply chain pressure and improve internal efficiencies. Furthermore, I believe clinical trial management, from phase 1 to phase 4, has changed forever. Now a risk-based, hybrid approach is more likely, with far more mutual recognition of audits.

How do you see the ‘treat and not prevent or cure’ model changing post-pandemic?
There has been a seismic shift away from disease care to prediction and prevention in recent years. The treatment of chronic diseases accounts for 80% of global healthcare spending. Each year, $230 billion is spent on diabetes alone.

Governments will likely accelerate this shift by incentivising ‘prediction and prevention’ with fast-track approvals, tax breaks and extended patent protection for products and services that reduce healthcare spending. The biggest accelerator will be Big Tech. Google, Amazon and others are already investing heavily, which will further catalyse this shift.

How can pharma, the NHS and patients achieve a shift to prevention, not treatment, for lifestyle diseases?
Society must involve all stakeholders, including Big Tech and governments. Laws and regulations need to be modernised, particularly those relating to post-approval changes. Chronic illnesses impact our poorest communities the hardest. Unless everyone has access to affordable healthcare, there will be no meaningful change. This starts with education, such as adding healthy lifestyle teaching to the school curriculum. Behavioural science should be used to help nudge people towards healthier lifestyles, and taxes increased on unhealthy food and drink.

Does healthcare’s future lie with Big Tech or Big Pharma?
Both. New start-ups will continue to be the source of innovation, helped by vast funding from the public and private sectors. I expect to see more partnerships between tech and pharma at every level. I also see a real possibility for a new sector called ‘Big Healthcare Inc’, whereby Big Tech, clinical research, regulatory manufacturing, logistics, HCPs and insurance are all available under one roof via strategic M&As or partnerships.

What keeps you awake at night?
Fear and excitement. Medical school taught me that the microbe always has the final word. I’m more concerned about the impact of antimicrobial resistance than the next pandemic. Although the latter is inevitable, COVID-19 has taught us valuable lessons in containment and management. However, the permissive use of antibiotics will lead to antibiotic resistance, returning modern medicine to the pre-antibiotic era.
For the first time, we have the public awareness, science and technology, investment and political will to transform healthcare for the better. Changes over the next five years will surpass those of the previous 50.