Putting patients first is a win-win situation

In a week when the pharma headlines were dominated by financial results and the all-important bottom line, there was one story this week which had its sights set firmly on the patients.

Viiv Healthcare, the HIV alliance set up by GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer and Shionogi, launched Tivicay in the UK on Monday with a sensitive, and some might say, alternative press briefing. Instead of the usual ‘men in suits’ who are usually rolled out by pharma companies to discuss their success, there were three UK HIV specialists who spoke to the briefing about the current situation of HIV treatment worldwide, and the challenges still to be faced. But the star of the show, and what will remain in most people’s minds after the briefing, was the moving documentary film of HIV patients speaking frankly about their treatment experiences.

No doubt chosen to repel any stereotypes, there were men and women of different races, ages and backgrounds. As they shared their experiences on film, they learnt more about how their treatment compared to others’ and we learnt what it was like to be HIV positive in the 21st century. Long gone are the days when a diagnosis meant a death sentence; these days – thanks to the innovative research of various pharma companies – having HIV can mean that you enjoy a normal life expectancy. But adversely with this comes the knowledge that you must be on medication forever, and so the side effects and impact of taking that medication becomes even more important. The group of HIV patients in the film discussed insomnia, headaches, hallucinations and diarrhea, with some even saying that they had experienced these without knowing they were side effects of the drugs. At worst, these side effects can isolate patients, leaving them unable to work or socialize normally.