In 2019, Pfizer was named the most patient-centric company in France by PatientView, an organization that assesses the pharmaceutical industry on a range of activities important to patients and patient groups. Pfizer France, which exemplifies the company’s universal patient-first culture, has been initiating dialogue and co-creating programs with more than 50 patient associations for 15 years.

“Patient organizations provide an incredible amount of expertise,” says Myriam Jabri, Head of Relations with Patient Associations, Pfizer France. “Listening and exchanging ideas allows us to understand patient needs, find solutions beyond pills, and add their insights into the drug development phase. Together, we build trust and inspire one another to help people live not only longer, but better. We are also committed to reinforcing ‘patient culture,’ and taking patient needs into account in our daily work.”

One example of this work is our collaboration with cancer patient associations to build a patient support program calledPactOnco, which aims to help cancer patients and caregivers on their journey by improving quality of life. We have similar projects in rare diseases and prevention. Another long-standing project, the Pfizer Patient Forum, is an annual event dedicated to patient associations and hosts speakers from these associations to share ideas. We also implemented the Pfizer Patient Award in 2019, which selects and recognizes patient groups in France for their commitment to patients and their families. These programs are evidence that listening is essential if we hope to lead the conversation around patient impact.